Boston officials are concerned about the potential impact of the Encore Boston Harbor on local youth and have commissioned a study to determine what effects it’s having, if any. As the focus for the study, they’ve chosen Charlestown, just across the Mystic River from the casino site. The luxury casino resort opened in 2019 and offers slots, table games, a poker room, and a state-of-the-art sportsbook for people 21 and up.
The study’s hypothesis is that exposure to a nearby casino could change the perception of gambling even among people who aren’t yet old enough to participate.
In August, the Mayor’s Office of Human Services (OHS) submitted an RFP for proposals for a study that would “explore the impact of Encore on Youth in Charlestown.”
As reported by the Common Wealth Beacon, the year-long study—funded with casino mitigation funds—would explore how youth aged 14 through 25 experience gambling. The RFP also asks for recommendations on how the city can protect young Charlestownians from being “harmed or exploited by gambling.”
Encore’s Impact on Youth Under Scrutiny
Specifically, the city seeks a research partner with mixed-methods and community participatory research expertise. According to the project summary, partners should also have access to an institutional review board.
As described, the research goal is to seek answers to five questions:
- What are Charlestown young people’s (ages 14-25) first exposures to gambling, or lack thereof, and how does that shape their perception of and interest in gambling
- What are the discernible trends in young people’s gambling exposures and experiences (e.g., typical means and points of exposure to gambling), if any, and to what extent does that differ by race, age, and socioeconomic status?
- Given the above questions, what are the young people’s perceptions and attitudes towards Encore Boston Harbor?
- What are existing community elements (e.g., school education around gambling or lack thereof, safe after-school spaces or lack thereof) that serve as risk or protective factors for young people in Charlestown?
- What role can the City play in protecting youth from being harmed or exploited by gambling?
According to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC), cited in the RFP, most Encore guests come from surrounding neighborhoods. As a Boston initiative, the scope of the project is limited. While previous reports have considered impacts on other nearby communities, those studies did not specifically consider youth risk. However, a 2022 report cited community members who said exposure to casinos “normalizes gambling behaviors for young people.”
From the FRP:
First exposures can take place as young as ten years old and might come in the form of seeing private betting happen between family members, helping parents scrape off film from scratch tickets, or choosing a horse for a family member to bet on.
Further, the RFP noted that as the casino continues to evolve and become even more enticing to adults, its impact on Charlestown’s youth is unknown.
Deadline for Proposals Now Past
As noted by the Beacon, when it comes to vices, states often play a paradoxical role—both regulating and reaping the benefits of legalized gambling.
According to an MGC report, in 2021 problem gamblers accounted for nearly 20% of Massachusetts’s total gambling expenditure.
However, when it comes to gambling and youth, online gambling and related harm are typically the focus. Further, a Beacon/GBH news poll from earlier this year found that Massachusetts casinos’ most frequent visitors are 30-44, with 34% visiting a casino the previous year.
Academically, there have been numerous studies investigating the factors that may influence children’s and youth’s gambling perceptions.
One such study found that heightened exposure to casino development increased the chance that a child had participated in gambling in the previous year. Further, like adults, children from communities with lower socioeconomic status are more prone to engage in gambling and develop problem gambling habits.
Studies also found that in response to casino developments specifically, young men are typically more likely to see increases in gambling participation and problem gambling.
Proposals addressing the Charlestown RFP were due Wednesday. Bonus contacted the OHS inquiring about the number of submissions and when they expect to make a decision. As of publication, there has been no response.
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