The Casino Attitudes Scale: The Development of a New Brief Psychometric Instrument

Over the course of the last decade, increasing liberalisation throughout the world has led to a massive growth of the gambling industry, particularly in the area of casino gambling. Casino gambling has frequently been found to be one of the most problematic forms of gambling. Given that there are no identified scales that measure attitudes toward this type of gambling, the aim of this study was to develop a psychometrically valid instrument to measure attitudes (and more specifically personal appeal) towards casinos. A sample of 139 participants (85 male, 54 female ranging in age from 18 to 62 years) completed the Casino Attitudes Scale. Exploratory factor analysis revealed two factors that explained 67% of the variance in the data. These were Recreational Appeal (34%) and Psychological Comfort (33%) respectively. As a preliminary test of the CAS’s reliability and validity, the psychometric data look promising. It is suggested that the CAS may be used in future studies in an attempt to identify how positive or negative attitudes toward casinos are associated with other psychosocial variables (e.g., personality factors). The CAS could also be administered to residents of local communities where casinos are planning to be introduced.