The Proportion of Gaming Revenue Derived from Problem Gamblers: Examining the Issues in a Canadian Context
Date
2004-12
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Blackwell Publishing Limited
Abstract
The legitimacy of government-sponsored gambling and its continued expansion
depends in part on the impact that gambling has on society and the extent to
which gambling revenue is derived from vulnerable individuals. The purpose of
the present article is to try to establish a valid estimate of the proportion of gaming
revenue derived from problem gamblers in Canada. Using recent secondary data
collected in eight Canadian provinces, we estimate this proportion to be 23.1%,
compared to a problem gambling prevalence rate of 4.2%. This estimate must be
seen as tentative, however, as self-reported expenditures are 2.1 times higher than
actual provincial gaming revenues.
Description
Permission to include this article in the Alberta Gaming Research Institute's online collection has been purchased from Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Keywords
gamblers, gambling, revenue
Citation
Williams, R. J., & Wood, R. T. (2004). The proportion of gaming revenue derived from problem gamblers: Examining the issues in a Canadian context. Analyses of Social Issues & Public Policy, 4(1), 1-13.