Sense of Place: Affective Link Missing Between Casino Impact Perception and Support for Casino Development?

Abstract

Although the influence of casino impact perception on support for casino development has been extensively studied, affective intermediaries in such a relationship have been understudied. This study aims to fill this gap by examining whether residents' sense of place – operationalized as consisting of two sub-concepts, i.e. place satisfaction and "sense of place (focused)" made up of place attachment/identity/dependence – can mediate the relationship. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 500 residents in Macao, China. Results showed that (a) casino benefit perception affected support for casino development through sense of place (focused) and place satisfaction; (b) casino cost perception affected support for casino development through place satisfaction; and (c) casino benefit/cost perception did not directly affect support for casino development. Overall, this study has created a more realistic model presenting the relationship between casino impact perception and support for casino development. Practical implications for casino destination management were also discussed.