Browsing by Author "Gray, Heather M."

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    A Benchmark Study for Monitoring Exposure to New Gambling Opportunities: Final Report Scientific Content
    (2013-05-29) Nelson, Sarah E.; Kleschinsky, John H.; LaPlante, Debi A.; Gray, Heather M.; Shaffer, Howard J.
    The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is nearing an historic change to its legal gambling landscape. The expansion of legal gambling opportunities to include large resort-style casinos presents a unique opportunity to learn about the short- and long-term ramifications of such expansion on public health. Because this period represents a natural experiment within Massachusetts, there is a limited window of opportunity to collect accurate baseline data. To determine how new gambling opportunities impact the public's gambling-related health, it is imperative to establish baseline estimates of gambling-related behaviors and health prior to the opening of new gambling venues. This project used a statewide online survey recruited via random household survey to establish a baseline estimate of gambling behaviors and health within Massachusetts' communities that can be used as the benchmark for a prospective long-term longitudinal investigation of the effect of gambling expansion on public health.