SEIGMA is considered the most comprehensive investigation of casino impacts ever undertaken. The report synthesizes the conclusions of 55 studies, surveys and interim analyses, some of which resulted in academic publications. “We sought to understand the impact of this access to the game and in particular to casinoor via the sports betting “, summarizes one of the lead authors, Rachel Volberg, epidemiology researcher at the School of Public Health at UMass.
The study SEIGMA was launched in 2013, 2 years before the opening of the first of 3 casinos in the state of Massachusetts. A Health Commission, the “Gaming Commission” was then committed to carrying out the necessary research to assess the health effects of casinos and games of chance.
This analysis, which is both longitudinal and broad, leads to the identification of both positive impacts – mainly economic – and negative impacts:
- direct positive impacts include job creation, tax revenues and other economic benefits for the region;
- Thanks to these casinos, Massachusetts state revenue from gaming taxes increased from $78 million in fiscal year 2016 to $330 million in fiscal year 2023, which benefits in part to the 351 municipalities of Massachusetts;
- the activity not only demonstrated “resilience during the post-COVID recovery period” but provided places to maintain social interaction and leisure;
- however, still on the economic side, approximately 75% of casino employees left other full-time jobs, leading to a loss of labor in other sectors;
- 39% of casino employees receive a “decent” salary, although overall pay levels are higher than in the accommodation and food services sector;
- Another negative health impact is the increased volume of automobile traffic, accidents and drunk driving near casinos;
- a slight increase in incivility and crime in and near casinos;
- a “small but significant” increase in illegal gambling;
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however, the prevalence of problem gambling does not show a significant increase,
since the opening of these casinos, and in Massachusetts;
- although the report reveals that the percentage of casino revenues coming from problem and at-risk gamblers increased from 74% in 2013-2014 to 90% in 2021-2022: thus, it appears that most of the revenues generated by casinos come from people at risk or who are addicted to gambling;
- in the general population,Attitudes towards gambling tend to become more negative and a much larger proportion of survey participants say that “gambling is too widely available.”
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