SINGAPOREAN'S PERCEPTIONS TOWARD A CASINO DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Over the years, the controversy of a casino in Singapore has been the subject of debate. Casino development has been used as a tool for spearheading economic growth in many countries. In recent years, casinos have been accepted as an integral part of total tourism product. Its development has also sparked off a chain of growth amongst other industries. However, there are people who claim that casino brings much more ills than benefits and is immoral and unethical. Hence, the purpose of this study is to explore Singaporean's perception towards the development of a casino in Singapore. Specifically, this study focuses on whether there are significant differences in perception between residents of different backgrounds. The net benefit/loss of such a development to the country is investigated. A survey of 400 Singaporeans was conducted to help shed light on the research objectives. Results show that most Singaporeans have been to overseas casinos. However, gambling is not the sole purpose of their visit as many visit casinos to enjoy the facilities and atmosphere. Chi-square tests indicate that both support for a casino and perceived benefits are dependent on gender, race, age, marital status and monthly income. Gang activity is the top fear amongst Singaporeans while an increase in tax revenue for the government is the top positive impact. Overall, Singaporeans feel stronger about the negative impacts than the positive impacts. Factor analysis of the impact variables resulted in five dimensions: negative social, positive social, negative environmental, negative economical and positive economical. An in-depth understanding of these factors and the resulting dimensions will help the relevant authorities make a more informed decision on this issue.