Pre- and post-casino impact of residents' perception

While most of the previous research on residents' perceptions was conducted in the form of snapshots taken at a particular time, or after tourism development, this paper aims to explore any significant differences in these perceptions between pre- and post-development of casinos. The survey for this study was developed to examine the underlying relationships among impact, benefit, and support variables based on social exchange theory, using a structural equation model. The results show that positive economic impact was most significant in determining the benefit level, which was further enhanced after the casino opened. Respondents perceived positive social impacts to be most significant both before and after casino development. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.