Summary:

The present study aims to describe the impact of the Plainridge Park Casino (PPC) on older residents and aging services in the casino’s surrounding community. While older adults comprise a substantial and growing demographic of casino patrons (Martin et al., 2011), it is not clear how having a casino in the community affects the aging experience. In 2018, the SEIGMA Research Team reported that PPC has brought positive economic impacts to the region and state (e.g., employment levels, increased number of business establishments), while having minor negative social impacts (e.g., problem gambling rates, crime rates, financial problems; SEIGMA Research Team, 2018). This project aims to contribute to the current knowledge by using a mixed-methods research approach to gather perspectives from senior center directors in the community, responsible gambling advisors located in the casino, and older residents themselves, to understand how a casino can impact older adults and their community. This study is guided by the following research questions:

• How do local senior centers interact with PPC?
• What are the opinions of local older community residents about PPC?
• What are some patterns among PPC’s older patrons?