The Economic Impact of Casino-Related Travel in Alberta

Anecdotal evidence suggests that travel is an important component of casino gambling, in that many casino patrons are not residents of the communities where casinos are located.  In this paper, we systematically investigate the relationship between casino gambling and travel in Canada.   Using a large, nationally representative annual survey of consumer travel in Canada, the Canadian Travel Survey, we estimate the total annual number of visitors to Alberta from other provinces who gamble at casinos, the value of their travel-related spending in the province, and the distance surplus implied by their travel. The results will shed light on the overall impact of casinos on the economy, because export travel has been identified as an important component of the net economic impact of casinos.