Abstract
Although the casino impact perception (CIP) of residents may influence their sense of place (SOP) and therefore the prosperity of casino destinations, little research has been conducted on such influence. The present study aimed to close the knowledge gap by investigating the presence of such influence in Macao, an important casino place in China and a leading casino center in the world. A structured questionnaire survey was administered to 500 Macao residents. The following results were obtained: (1) both SOP and its sub-dimensions were affected by CIP factors, (2) positive CIP factors had a stronger influence on SOP than did the negative ones, and (3) CIP factors were more important than the five socio-demographics (i.e. age, marital status, income, education, and occupation) as controlled variables in predicting SOP. This study contributes to the knowledge of the influence of CIP on SOP and provides useful policy implications for casino place management.
Acknowledgments
This study is supported by Hui Oi Chow Trust Fund and China National Science Foundation [grant number 71202094].