Hamilton, New Zealand: Divergent attitudes when the casino came to town

Abstract

The introduction of a casino into a community, as evidenced from a large number of studies undertaken over the years in different parts of the globe, suggests that casino business affects the community's social and economic structure. This research considers the case of the introduction of a casino into Hamilton, a city in New Zealand with a population of approximately 129,000. Based on 945 responses, it is of particular note that differences in views regarding the casino were evident between the two genders and between those who had patronized the casino and those who had not visited. The results indicate that women and nonvisitors were consistently more negative about the casino's effects on the community than were men and those who patronized the casino.