Vulnerability modeling of casinos in the United States: A case study of Philadelphia

As the number of states that have legalized casino gaming has continued to increase in the United States, it is important to consider one of the most important costs identified in international gambling research, that of problem gambling. This project seeks to examine the potential impacts of problem gaming in the major metropolitan area of Philadelphia, which is currently the largest city in the United States with an open commercial casino. To understand the vulnerability to problem gaming of the neighborhoods where casinos are located in the metropolitan area of Philadelphia, a GIS vulnerability model was created in order to examine the accessibility to the casinos of those most vulnerable to problem gaming. The results show that three out of the four casinos in metropolitan Philadelphia are located in areas where people are vulnerable to problem gaming. These findings demonstrate a need for public policy to mitigate the potential impacts of problem gaming on the community. The GIS model created for this project is the first vulnerability study of a major urban area in the United States and has the potential to be expanded to contribute to gambling research within the United States and abroad.