gambling in alberta - Research Services - University of Lethbridge

SUMMARY
Research Approach
The present analysis focuses on 1970 to the present time. This is partly because of limited data
availability prior to 1970; partly because 1969 was coincident with the beginning of Alberta’s
ability to independently provide, regulate, and license most forms of gambling; and partly
because the most rapid introduction and expansion of gambling in Alberta has occurred in this
period. More specifically, the main changes in gambling availability in Alberta since 1970
involve:
An increased availability of raffles.
The 1973 introduction of lotteries.
An increased availability of instant win ‘pull tickets’ up to 1993, and a decline since 1993.
The 1980 introduction of casinos offering table games, expanding to 19 casinos by 2007.
An expanded availability of bingo up to the mid 1990s (including the introduction of satellite
bingo in 1996), and decline after that time.
The 1986 introduction of instant win scratch tickets.
A declining availability of horse race tracks and live race days, offset to some extent by the
1990 introduction of teletheatre horse race betting.
The 1990 introduction of sports betting.
The 1992 introduction of video lottery terminals to bars/lounges.
The 1996 introduction of slot machines to casinos, with the number of slot machines
continuing to increase to the present time (12,873 in 2010).
The 1996 introduction of slot machines to horse race tracks, expanding to 3 race tracks by
2002.
The 2006 introduction of First Nations casinos, expanding to 5 First Nations casinos by 2008.
An essential aspect of our research approach to studying socioeconomic impacts was to ‘follow
the money’. Although there are many areas of the economy and society where socioeconomic
impacts of gambling might be found, they are much more likely to be observed in the
groups/individuals/geographic areas that are responsible for contributing the money and in the
groups/economic sectors/geographic areas that are the recipients of the money. This approach
also allowed us to establish how much money is involved, which helped quantify the potential
magnitude of these impacts.
The sectors primarily involved in the transfer and receipt of gambling revenue are the:
Provincial Government; Charitable Organizations; the general Alberta Populace (Society);
Private Industry; and Alberta First Nations. We then conducted a detailed examination of the
impacts within each of these groups/sectors. These impacts were examined by means of a)
secondary analysis of changes in general economic and social indices, b) direct investigation of
the known impacts, c) population surveys, and d) key informant interviews and focus groups.
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