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Visitor suicide risk in casino resort areas

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Abstract

In a well-publicized analysis of visitor suicides in three casinoareas (Atlantic City, Las Vegas, and Reno), elevated suicide risk among interstate visitors was attributed to the presence of legalized gambling. A fundamental limitation of the analysis, however, was the absence of estimatesfor at-risk populations. In the present paper, an analysis of 1995 visitor-suicide rates (incorporating estimates for at-risk population) for 310 large UScounties, including places both with and without gambling casinos, yields no evidence to support a gambling-suicide relationship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Analysis & Design, School of Social Ecology, University of California, Irvine, USA

    Kenneth S. Y. Chew, Richard Mc Cleary, Vincent Merrill & Carol Napolitano

Authors
  1. Kenneth S. Y. Chew
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  2. Richard Mc Cleary
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  3. Vincent Merrill
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  4. Carol Napolitano
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Chew, K.S.Y., Mc Cleary, R., Merrill, V. et al. Visitor suicide risk in casino resort areas. Population Research and Policy Review 19, 551–570 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010696906473

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010696906473

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