A study of Plainridge Park Casino charted a year in the life of crime in communities near the new racetrack.
A Public Safety Impact Report on the Plainridge Park Casino was handed to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission this week, which showed no correlation between gambling and crime. The report charted a year in the operations of the Plainridge Park Casino.
Those who oppose expanded gambling often make the argument that casinos lead to a rise in crime in an area. The suggestion is casinos concentrate a lot of cash in one place, so criminals and con artists also concentrate in the area. Opponents of casinos also suggest that gambling is a vice, so vice-ridden people naturally turn to crime.
Casinos Opening in 2018 and 2019
As the the MGM Springfield Casino and the Wynn Boston Harbor Casino are set to open in Massachusetts in 2018 and 2019, respectively, residents have wondered whether the crime rate in nearby cities would increase when the casinos opened. The Public Safety Impact Reports suggests that is not likely to be the case.
After a year-long study, that did not appear to be the case in the Plainridge Park Casino, a slots casino on the grounds of a racetrack. The report said the public safety assessment found “no significant causal relationship” between the casino and an elevated crime rate.
50-Page Report at the Casino
The 50-page report made four key points. First, the Plainridge Park Casino’s slots parlor had a similar impact on crime rates as new non-casino facilities like shopping malls and entertainment complexes. Second, crime was down overall in the communities near Plainridge Park.
Third, economic crime such as credit card fraud did rise in the area over the past year, but there is no evidence to show that the slots parlor is responsible. That is, the credit card fraud did not take place on the casino grounds, nor did it seem associated with gambling at the casino.
Fourth, a slight increase in 911 calls to the local police department were associated with traffic activity, instead of theft or violent crimes. The evidence shows that the uptick in 911 calls involved disabled vehicles, suspicious or abandoned vehicles, or collisions.
Crime Rates around Casinos
Plainridge opened in June 2015, so researchers were able to study how a brand new casino impacted the local crime rate. No significant impact was charted, though.
MGC consultant and crime analyst Christopher Bruce said in the report, “In the first year of operation at Plainridge Park Casino, analysis indicates that most changes in public safety data are proportional with non-gambling facilities of similar size.”
“I hope this public safety analysis continues to provide important information that local police departments will deem helpful and can utilize to assist with the development of effective data-driven strategies.
Harness Racing Revenues Increased
Christopher Bruce reported that harness racing at the facility has been positively affected by the inclusion of a slots casino on the complex grounds. Revenues and attendance of the harness races have shown a marked increase, which was the supposed purpose of installing a racino on the grounds.
The horse racing and dog racing industries across the United States have been in decline over the past generations. Due to the proliferation of lottery betting, online gambling, and tribal casino facilities, many gamblers who once ventured to racetracks prefer other forms of betting. Many racetracks have closed, while others have looked to hybrid forms of gaming to stay in business.
Because horse racing and dog racing support cottage industries having to do with animal husbandry, including the training and breeding niches. Lawmakers in many states believe those industries should be protected, so they have passed laws which allow casino-style gambling on the grounds of racetracks. Those facilities almost always contain slot machines or video lottery terminals (VLTs), but they often contain video poker machines and gaming tables.
These gaming venues allow a racetrack to stay open 365 days a year, while a racing schedule is much more limited. The viability of racinos means that gaming cultures are even more localized than they were even 15 years ago, so gaming hubs like Atlantic City and Tunica have struggled to keep up with the times.
