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An ongoing debate exists in the field of gambling research as to the relationship between the availability of gambling opportunities and the risk of developing gambling problems. The availability theory suggests that an increased exposure to gambling opportunities in a population would result in more individuals experiencing gambling problems and associated harms (Abbott & Volberg, 1999; Raylu & Oei, 2002; Room, 2005). An alternative theory on adaptation suggests that a population will develop immunity to a newly introduced form of gambling and any gambling-related problems and harms would be short lived (Abbott, 2005, 2006; Abbott et al., 1999; Shaffer, 2005; Shaffer et al., 1997). Many gambling studies have been undertaken to elucidate the role of proximity in the risk of developing gambling problems; however, as these studies have varied methodologies and target populations, outcomes also vary.
Cross-sectional studies conducted in the USA and other jurisdictions over the past several decades observed positive relationships between gambling problems in a population and their increased exposure to gambling opportunities. Gerstein et al. (1999) found higher rates of problem gambling when a gambling venue was within 50 miles of a home location. A US national telephone survey in 1999/2000 found similar results for individuals living within 10 miles of a gambling venue (Welte et al., 2004). In a follow-up study conducted a decade later, individuals in closer proximity to a gambling venue again had higher rates of gambling participation and gambling problems (Welte et al., 2016). An analysis of respondents to the 2002/2003 New Zealand Health Survey found that neighborhoods with increased access to gambling had higher rates of gambling problems and related population inequalities (Pearce et al., 2008). A 2002 Canadian population survey found a modest association between proximity to gambling venues offering EGMs and problem gambling (Rush et al., 2007). However, another study conducted in Canada that did find an association between proximity to a gambling venue and the level of gambling participation and expenditure on gambling in the local population found no correlation between proximity and rates of problem gambling suggesting the population may have already adapted to the presence of local casinos (Sevigny et al., 2008).
Several longitudinal studies investigated the opening of a new gambling venue in Canada and found an initial increase in...