This file is a survey titled “Residents’ perceptions and attitudes about limited stakes casino gambling and its impact on community life.” The survey was administered to heads of households in Deadwood, South Dakota, and Black Hawk, Central City, Cripple Creek, and Grand Lake, Colorado. It was supported by the State Policy Program of The Aspen Institute and funded by The Ford Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The survey aims to gather information on how gambling has impacted the lives of residents in Deadwood. It covers several sections:
- Section 1: Feelings about living in Deadwood – This section asks residents to rate their agreement with statements about their community life, safety, participation in civic affairs, and overall satisfaction. It also includes open-ended questions about what they like most and least about living in Deadwood.
- Section 2: General feelings about gambling in Deadwood – This section assesses residents’ opinions on various aspects of gambling, including whether it’s appropriate for the town, its social and economic benefits, and its impact on tourism and community future.
- Section 3: Perceived changes in the community and if gambling caused them – This section lists community characteristics (e.g., personal income, traffic, jobs, crime, quality of services) and asks residents if these have changed in the last three years and if gambling caused those changes. It also includes open-ended questions about how gambling has made their lives better or worse.
- Section 4: Contact with gamblers – This section explores the nature of residents’ contact with gamblers (e.g., rare/frequent, voluntary/involuntary, positive/negative) and their personal involvement in gambling (frequency of gambling, employment in gambling-related jobs, investments in gambling businesses).
- Section 5: Influence of gambling on political decisions – This section asks residents about the perceived political influence of both residents and gambling businesses on various city decisions (e.g., city commission, budget, public facilities, elections).
- Section 6: Statistical information – This section collects demographic data such as length of residency, voting history on gambling initiatives, proximity to gambling establishments, housing status, age, gender, household size, ethnic origin, employment status, marital status, education level, and household income.
- Section 7: Other comments – This section provides an opportunity for residents to offer additional comments or suggestions on gambling in Deadwood and recommendations for other communities considering legalizing gambling.
The latter part of the document (starting from page 12) details the “Presentation of Data,” indicating that survey results for each topic will be presented in two graphs: one by individual community and one by state. It also lists the specific file names where the data for each question is stored.
