CRP Research Quantifies Social Impact of a Casino

Community Research Partners (CRP) released research on the social impacts of casinos, undertaken for the Columbus Human Services Advocates. The most direct impacts are those associated with increases in gambling problems, which are double for a person living within 50 miles of a casino. CRP estimates that when a casino is built in Columbus, there may be over 22,000 new problem and pathological gamblers in Franklin County. Using figures from The National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, CRP estimates that the ongoing, annual costs to address this increase in problem gambling could be $28 million, and the one time/lifetime costs for events such as divorce and bankruptcy could be $223 million. These social costs will be borne by human services systems, businesses, government, and individuals and families.

The report was released at a January 21, 2010, forum, Is Central Ohio Ready for the Social Impacts of a Casino? At the forum, Jody Bechtold, Field Education Coordinator, University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, presented the results of research on the readiness of Pittsburgh area human service agencies to address problem gambling in advance of a new casino opening there in late 2009. She also provided information about the School of Social Work's Gambling Counseling Training Institute. A panel, which included Derrick Fulton, Communities in Schools; Paul Coleman, Maryhaven; Tom Weeks, Legal Aid Society of Columbus; and Paul Afek, Gamblers Anonymous, assessed what central Ohio would need to be ready for increased problem gambling.