University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh UNIVERSITY OF GHANA COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES THE GAMING INDUSTRY IN GHANA: CASINO EMPLOYMENT AND ITS DIRECT BENEFIT TO RESIDENTS OF HOST COMMUNITIES (A STUDY OF CASINO EMPLOYMENT IN OSU) BY SAMUEL SEWOR (10343733) THIS LONG ESSAY IS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN DEVELOPMENT FINANCE JULY, 2019 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DECLARATION I, the undersigned do hereby declare that my own research produced this work under the supervision. This work has not been presented partially or wholly by anyone for any academic award in this or any other university. I declare also that all sources of borrowed materials have been duly acknowledged. .……………………………… .……………………………… SAMUEL SEWOR DATE (10343733) i University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh CERTIFICATION I certify that the preparation and presentation of this thesis was supervised in accordance with the guidelines and procedures laid down by the University of Ghana. .………………………….…………… .………………………….…………… PROF. GODFRED ALUFAR BOKPIN DATE (SUPERVISOR) ii University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DEDICATION This work is dedicated to my dear parents and siblings for standing by me in every sphere of my life. I am lucky to be born into such a wonderful family. iii University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Blessed be the name of God Almighty (the covenant keeping God) for his unconditional grace, favor, mercies and love in bringing me this far. I am forever grateful that the lord has been faithful to me. To my supervisor, Prof. Godfred A. Bokpin, I say a big thank you for your unflinching support and guidance. You provided valuable comments in making this work a success. I could not have asked for more. My profound gratitude is also extended to my Seminar lecturers, Dr. Charles Andoh & Dr. Lordina Amoah for their impact in this work directly or indirectly, and to all my MSc Development Finance course mates and Lecturers for the 2018/2019 academic year. My appreciation also goes to the staff and managers/supervisors of casinos at Osu, whose responses provided the necessary data for my analysis. To Mr. Joshua K. Hodinyah, I say God bless you for all your support. You are a true friend and brother indeed. Finally, to Mr. Dennis Adzie and Miss Dorothy Yeboah both of the Gaming Commission of Ghana, I say God richly bless you for your unconditional support. iv University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION................................................................................................................................... i CERTIFICATION ................................................................................................................................ ii DEDICATION ..................................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................................... v LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................................. ix LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................. x ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Background to the Study .................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Research Problem ............................................................................................................. 2 1.3 Research Purpose ............................................................................................................. 3 1.4 Research Objectives ......................................................................................................... 3 1.5 Research Questions .......................................................................................................... 3 1.6 Significance of the Study ................................................................................................. 4 1.7 Scope of the Study............................................................................................................ 4 1.8 Chapter Disposition .......................................................................................................... 4 CHAPTER TWO .................................................................................................................................. 6 v University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................................................... 6 2.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Revenue generation in the Gaming Industry .................................................................... 6 2.3 Empirical Review ............................................................................................................. 7 2.4 Management and Businesses Development ..................................................................... 9 2.5 Gaming and Social Development ..................................................................................... 9 2.6 The Gaming Industry in Ghana ...................................................................................... 11 2.7 Gaming and Regulations ................................................................................................ 12 2.8 Casino Industry in Ghana ............................................................................................... 13 2.9 Casinos and Local Employment ..................................................................................... 15 CHAPTER THREE............................................................................................................................ 17 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................... 17 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 17 3.2 Research Design ............................................................................................................. 17 3.3 Target Population ........................................................................................................... 17 3.4 Sample Size and Technique ........................................................................................... 18 3.5 Sources of Data .............................................................................................................. 19 3.5.1 Primary Sources ....................................................................................................... 19 3.5.2 Secondary Sources ................................................................................................... 20 3.6 Data Collection Procedure and Data Collection Instrument .......................................... 20 3.7 Data Analysis and Presentation ...................................................................................... 20 vi University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh 3.8 Ethical Considerations.................................................................................................... 21 3.9 Limitation and Delimitations of the Study ..................................................................... 21 CHAPTER FOUR .............................................................................................................................. 23 DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF RESULT .............................................................. 23 4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 23 4.2 Descriptive Analysis ...................................................................................................... 23 4.2.1 Response Rate.......................................................................................................... 23 4.2.2 Demographic Characteristics of Respondents ......................................................... 23 4.2.3 Discussion: Gender, Age & Educational Background & Local Casino Employment .......................................................................................................................................... 24 4.2.4 Discussion: Job Profile and availability of labor in the community........................ 26 4.2.5 Discussion: Income levels and casino employee turnover rate ............................... 27 4.2.6 Level of Job Satisfaction of Casino Employees ...................................................... 28 4.3 Analysis and discussion of Interview with Managers of the three Casinos ................... 28 4.3.1 Number of staff who reside in Osu .......................................................................... 30 4.3.2 Considerations for potential casino employee ......................................................... 30 4.4 Trend of Casino Employment in Osu ............................................................................. 30 4.4.1 Total Casino Employment trend in Osu (2014-2019) ............................................. 32 CHAPTER FIVE ................................................................................................................................ 33 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................ 33 5.1 Summary of findings ...................................................................................................... 33 5.2 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 34 vii University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh 5.3 Recommendations and Suggestions for Further Research ............................................. 34 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................... 36 APPENDIX ......................................................................................................................................... 38 viii University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh LIST OF TABLES Table 4.1: Sex, Age and Educational Background of Respondent .......................................... 24 Table 4.2: Respondents’ Job Profile ........................................................................................ 26 Table 4.3: Level of Satisfaction of Casino Employees ............................................................ 29 ix University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh LIST OF FIGURES Figure 4.1: Income Level of Employees .................................................................................. 27 Figure 4.2: Trend of Casino Employment (2014 - 2019) ........................................................ 31 Figure 4.3: Trend of Total Casino Employment (2014 – 2019) .............................................. 32 x University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh ABSTRACT The primary focus of this academic study is to determine the proportion of casino employees within the Osu that actually come from the community relative to those from outside the community. The researcher’s intension is to discover whether casinos in the community have most employees coming from the same community. A secondary motive is to find the trend in casino employments of the Osu community over a specified period of time. The scope of the study is limited to casinos in Osu, a suburb of Accra in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Methodology employed for this study was a mixture of quantitative and qualitative approaches. Both primary and secondary data about casino employees were collected and analyzed in arriving at key findings based on specific objectives of the study. The first key findings of the study was that most employees of casinos in Osu reside outside the community. This means that most people living in the community do not get employed in the various casinos for various reasons. Another key finding was that, given casino employee turnover rate from 2014 to 2019, there a positive trend. This means casino employment in the community has increased over time. The study is concluded with recommendations for the Gaming Commission of Ghana to have provisions in the Gaming Act 2006, Act 721 which mandates casinos to hire and maintain a proportion of staff from communities where they are established. xi University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Study Gambling has been in existence for ages and the industry has by far become a mainstay sector across the world now. The industry encompasses casino, sports betting, slot machine and bingo among others where large amounts of cash change hands. According to (AGA, 2018), the commercial gaming industry brought in Forty billion US Dollars ($40.28bn) in gaming revenue in 2017, a 3.4 per cent increase over 2016 in the United States. African Countries such as South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and of course Ghana are not excluded from participating in this sector. In Ghana, the gambling industry is categorized broadly in lottery (regulated by the National Lottery Authority) and other games of chance (regulated by the Gaming Commission of Ghana). The ‘other games of chance’ includes casinos, sports betting, route operations, scratch cards operations and promotional games of chance. The surge of the gaming industry therefore requires laws, regulations, structures and standards to streamline activities within. The Gaming Boards or Commissions, otherwise known as regulators are charged with the mandate of controlling and supervision the activities of the industry as well as granting license to operators of games of chance. It is of great significance that frameworks used by regulators meet certain standards and requirements as this drives the impact they have on society. Ghana came to economic realization of the gaming industry with the birth of Gaming Commission in 2006, when the Gaming Act, 721 was promulgated to oversee activities of games of chance. So much has happened since, with significant number of people being employed to the sector. The growth of the industry, all things being equal increases the number of people employed thereby reducing the unemployment rate. Generally, people perceive casinos to increase local employment due to the requirement of labor for their 1 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh operations. These labor may or may not necessarily come from communities where these casinos are established thus leaving unemployment unchanged. It is against this backdrop that the study will explore the effect of the casino employment on host communities in Ghana. Cross sectional primary data was collected from casinos within Osu, a suburb of Accra, Ghana and run through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software to draw conclusions. The study looks at Ghana’s regulatory framework and how these regulations impact the gaming industry. For the purposes of this study, both theoretical and empirical data on casino and sports betting in Accra will be used in determining the impact. 1.2 Research Problem Proponents of casino gaming often claim that casinos increase local employment simply because they create additional jobs. The general premise created is that because casino operations require labor, it should come from the local area thereby reducing unemployment. Garrett (2004) observed that casino employment in the local area will be dependent on whether residents possess the relevant skills needed. If it turns out that residents of a particular community do not possess the necessary skills such as accounting, dealing, surveillance etc., then the casino would have to employ from outside the community. The net effect of the casino employment on residents of the community would thus be zero. Given the above scenario, the real question one may ask would not only be whether casinos decrease unemployment but for whom they decrease unemployment. The extent to which the gaming industry directly benefits local residents of communities with regards to casino employment is also be discussed. Using casinos in Osu, this study was conducted using empirical data collected primarily. It is worth 2 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh noting that most literature do not give vivid empirical analysis when it comes to issues in the industry. 1.3 Research Purpose This dissertation explores the total number of people who benefit directly from casino employment in communities where they are established relative to employees outside these communities as well as ascertain the trends in casino employment over time. Data to be used in achieving this will be first hand from self-administered questionnaires to various casino facilities in Osu. 1.4 Research Objectives There are various literature that support both the benefits and negatives that come with growth of gaming industry in Ghana. Holding the negative costs constant, this study will aim at the following. a. To examine the total number of residents that benefit directly from casino employment in the Osu community relative to employees from outside the community. b. To examine the trend in casino employment in Osu over time. 1.5 Research Questions The dissertation will seek to find solutions to the following questions. a. How many residents of Osu benefit from casino employment in community? b. How has casinos employment in Osu changed over time? 3 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh 1.6 Significance of the Study Literature on the Gaming industry (with respect to regulatory regime, employment, revenue etc.) especially in Ghana is very hard to come by. Concerning the research significance, this study goes beyond current general researches on the gaming industry by examining the extent to which casinos operators’ impact employment within towns in Ghana. Various findings will give in-depth knowledge and understanding on the employment effect of casinos on communities where they are established. These findings will bring out the worth or value of the industry in terms of employment benefits. Concerning policy, the findings will serve as advice to aid policy makers come up with interventions that are tailored towards specific needs of the industry. The findings will also serve as knowledge for which further research can be made. 1.7 Scope of the Study The study examines the effect of casino employment in Ghana on host communities with Osu as a study. The study shows the rate at which residents of the community gets employed within the locality. The study covers casino operations within Osu with employees being the target respondents. This sector is arguably one of the most sensitive and complicated sectors in the country with majority of risk-oriented issues arising in the sector. Cross sectional primary data was collected from casino employees within the community under discussion and used to run the analysis in achieving set objectives. 1.8 Chapter Disposition The study will be structured into five (5) chapters. 4 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh Chapter one will consist of the introduction of the study. The chapter incorporates the problem statement, objectives of the study, research questions, the significance and scope of the study. Chapter two will comprise the literature review of this study. It contains a review of existing studies in order to retrieve information with which the study will be focused. Generally, the study will review both theoretical and empirical studies related to the study. Chapter three will contain the methodology used in the study to arrive at the findings. This chapter discusses the research design, research instrumentation, target population, sampling procedure and the method of data analysis. Chapter four will discuss the empirical results, through the analysis and interpretations of results. Chapter five which is the last chapter will provide a comprehensive summary and conclusions of the study a well as recommendations that are appropriate for both policy makers and further academic research. 5 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction This chapter examines in critical detail, the concepts of gaming, its practices and regulatory framework governing the sector. The chapter looks in particular at some of the best practices associated with the gaming industry around the world and how casino employment in various jurisdictions have affected residents of communities where these casinos have been established. The role of regulation in the industry is also explained across various jurisdiction using existing literature. The chapter is organized to cover revenue generation in the gaming industry, management and business development, gaming and social development, gaming industry in Ghana, gaming and regulation, the casino industry in Ghana as well as casino and local employment. 2.2 Revenue generation in the Gaming Industry Revenue has seen varying and diverse definitions from numerous authors. Public Revenue, by way of definition, refers to government revenue as that which is financed by means of participation in distribution of social or public products, which is financial resource to ensure government functioning (Ribot, Agrawal & Larson, 2006). In addition, according to the views of Stine (1994), Public revenues are revenues can be described as government revenue derived from sources including the taxes that are levied on wealth accumulations and incomes of individuals, on corporations and on the goods and services produced as well as exports and imports. In the Gaming industry, revenues are considered as all the necessary inflows or income received by an organization through diverse means to finance operational expenditure, reduce 6 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh the level of inequalities among citizens as well as enhancing economic stability and growth. In effect government revenue can be sourced from both taxable and non-taxable means. All monies received by the government through the revenue authority in the form of Company income tax, and the gaming regulatory body in the form of licensing and operational fees can be classified as revenue. 2.3 Empirical Review Gaming industries across the world have become very prominent largely due to contributions to revenue and employment upon their legalization. Countries like the United States, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Ghana among others have recognized the importance of the industry. However, not much empirical work has been done on the extent to which these revenues and employment impact growth in the various economies. “Despite the expansion of the commercial casino industry, there have been relatively few empirical studies of the economic impacts of casinos” (Walker & Jackson, 2013). In Ghana for instance, empirical studies on gaming revenue, impact on employment or the regulatory agency is arguably non-existent. According to Repetti, T. (2011), the biggest issue with operational analysis is access to data and this is a probable reason for fewer studies in this area. The state has a responsibility therefore to put measures and systems in place to help in collecting and collating data in the industry. All jurisdictions have gaming authorities that oversee activities of the gaming industry. The Gaming Commission of Ghana is mandated by the Gaming Act, Act 721. (2006) to regulate, control, monitor and supervise the operations of games of chance in Ghana. For the purposes of this study, 7 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh “a game of chance includes a game other than lotto in which participants, in anticipation of winning a reward on the results of the game which depends on luck and which cannot be determined before the end of the game, pay money for the right to participate in the game”. (The Gaming Act, 721, 2006, p.25). The rules and regulations of these gaming authorities have impacts on the activities of operators in the gaming industry and hence on economic growth. For the mandate of regulators to be effective, it will be essential for the laws to create an enabling environment to protect integrity of games and players, mitigate against fraud and protect under aged. A comparative study (Mbasi, 2013) on the regulatory regime governing the casino industry in Kenya shared similar findings with regards to effectiveness of gaming regulators. Casinos across the world are seen as viable source of employment because of the labor needs. In a study on the impact Turning Stone Casino on Employment, Taxation and Social Factors in the Three-County Area, Brown (2005) found that this particular casino has become one of the largest tribal casinos in the country, thus creating over four thousand (4,000) jobs in the last ten years. The employments created as well as revenues generated can have positive impacts on economic growth. Some studies have also pointed out that gross revenues from gambling contribute significantly to Gross Domestic Product as agreed by Kristen (2016). This study will collect and analyze empirical data in the Ghanaian gaming industry, specifically casinos in Osu (a suburb of Accra, Ghana) to examine the extent to which employment is affected by these casinos. The regulatory framework of the Gaming Commission of Ghana will also be compared with other established jurisdictions. 8 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh 2.4 Management and Businesses Development The Casino business, a popular source of gaming and recreational activity has been recognized as an appropriate tool for fighting unemployment on the grounds of being able to bridge the gap between development and the economy (Oteng-Abayie et al., 2011). It is evident that the Gaming Industry has become a focus today in the socio economic development of Ghana, with strong indications to suggest that casino facilities are not operating at their full scale impact or capacity. Oteng-Abayie (2011) highlights some of the causes as result of poor quality of service in meeting excess demand or misapplying capital resources in the industry. Other contributors included very little or no incentives for staff to help improve both individual and team performances or to archive set targets and poor quality of services rendered to clients or punters. From the varying meanings given to this concept it suggests that gaming institutions need to be socially responsible to benefit themselves by giving adequate incentives to staff and improving the quality of services in general. This will improve workers’ lifestyle and translate into better lives of families. Workers will work harder to increase profits and this will draw potential consumers, this will increase capital and lending can meet borrowing demands gradually, increasing profit outcomes. In the end, the gaming sector in improving the lives of workers will go a long way to improve the outcomes for shareholders which suggest corporate social responsibility has so much to benefit all interest groups. 2.5 Gaming and Social Development As gambling has become progressively significant in the last decade, various studies have come up in connection to how these mediums affect the development of an economy through employment. Yee (2006) proposes that amusements through games generally doesn’t leave the 9 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh individual rationally bumbling. He further clarified that many "bad-to-the-bone" gamblers are goal seeking and high-achievers. Additionally, for further emphasizes on this point of view, Cole and Griffiths (2007) clarified that games require a high level of social interaction and participation. Usually it is essential that a number of punters or players cooperate to achieve certain objectives and it is just through cooperation and teamwork that a considerable lot of these goals can be met. Cole and Griffiths further test the myth that punters or gamblers are socially inactive by exhibiting that eighty per cent (80%) out of nine hundred and twelve (912) members in their investigation preferred playing their games with loved, family and friends especially. Further, their study revealed that seventy-six per cent (76.2%) and seventy-five per cent (74.7%) of males and females respectively in the research usually made great friends within the gaming environment. Their study recommends that gambling serve as media through which people can cooperate with each other and form significant and meaningful relationship. For Krotoski (2004), national gambling empowers and strengthens aggregate cooperation and thereby resulting in the shaping of significant national development as well as personal empowerment. A study by Weibel, Rost & Oaterloh. (2007) suggests that punters usually have profound sense of delight and submersion in the course of playing with other people. This may guide punters to seek out social interaction with other human players within the gaming environment. This allows for networking and relationship building and thus tend to increase employment opportunities within the gaming arena. Another study by Lei and Wu (2007) recommended that gambling may provide young people with methods for establishing up their very own business contacts. The boundless measures of information and communication opportunities that are available and accessible on the internet provides the populace with vast range of avenues that gamblers can make use of. Lei and Wu (2007) stated further that the usage of internet can be influenced by paternal attachment internet 10 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh use can be influenced by paternal attachment, with the claim that young teenagers who feel distanced from their parents turn to internet gambling in order to discover meaningful relationships. These arguments seem to propose that the internet may work as a buffering system that aids social development as well as empowering individuals who might encounter deficiencies in real world circumstance to significantly shape relationships online. Research by Jansz and Martens (2005) seems to reinforce the argument that gambling may not necessarily be an impairment to social development of players or punters. They suggest that gamblers who have aged beyond youth could live autonomously from their guardians and could keep up huge sentimentally personal development and relationships with others. This study explored and demonstrated that gamblers can grow effectively in light of day by day game play. So as to have the capacity to live freely from their families, gamblers must have the capacity to maintain an employment and steady pay, and the capacity to keep up significant relationship recommends that gamblers are effectively ready to explore the social complexities of the environmental occurrences. 2.6 The Gaming Industry in Ghana Like many gambling dominant countries, gambling in Ghana has seen a study rise. The gaming industry has fast become a multi-billion-dollar industry as it generates huge sums of revenue and high employment levels, thereby contributing significantly to productivity and economic growth. Ghana’s gaming industry is broadly categorized into lottery and other games of chance. The National Lottery Authority and Gaming Commission are mandated to regulate the former and latter respectively. The other Games of chance category is further divided into casino operations, sports betting, route operations, scratch card operations and promotional games of chance. Of these, the casino 11 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh industry is seen as the most highly regulated in Ghana as it has a strong presence in the Ghanaian economy. The casino industry, along with the other industries under ‘games of chance’ became legalized in 2006 with the enactment of the Gaming Act, 721, (Act 2006). The Gaming Commission of Ghana regulates, monitors, supervises and controls activities of operators in this industry, generating revenue for the state in the process. These revenues come in the form of new license fees, license renewal fees and promotional permit fees. Gambling comes in the form of both land based and online facilities. It is worth noting that the extent of gambling as well as laws regulating the industry differs across countries even in Africa. Some countries in Africa have no legislation in place that allow for online setting up of casino. Those that have however, does not cover the players, which also means that players are free to gamble at online casinos belonging to foreign operators as long as the bets will be accepted as opined by Sherry (2007). As can be seen, the Ghanaian gambling industry is one of the fastest growing and liberal sectors in the West African sub region and is fully legally regulated by the Gaming Commission of Ghana (GCG). The Ghanaian gaming industry was previously regulated under the Lotteries and Betting Act, 1960 (Act31), the Football Pools Authority Act 1961, (Act 78) the Gambling Machines Decree 1973 (NRCD 174) and Casino Licensing Decree 1975 (NRCD 320). Until the establishment of the Gaming Commission, the Ministry of the Interior had oversight responsibility for the regulation of Casinos and other games of chance. 2.7 Gaming and Regulations The global regulation of Casino gaming is widely believed to have been based on three different regulatory regimes as exists in Unites Kingdom, and those of the states of Nevada and New Jersey in the United States. (Mbasi, 2013). It is worth noting that aspects that are essentially 12 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh borrowed from the above mentioned gaming legislations are found in almost all legislations. There is a major discussion in the gaming industry on the effectiveness of existing laws in regulating the industry. As such, these laws could be said to be effective if they achieve set legislative objectives. In achieving effectiveness, gaming laws must guard against manipulations, fraud and infiltration by organized crime and protect the young and vulnerable from gambling problems. However, studies on effectiveness of gaming laws are very rare and there is arguably no evidence of one in Ghana. The boom in the Ghanaian gaming industry in recent times has also raised serious concerns on whether or not existing laws are adequate with regards to regulating and controlling the explosion of the industry. Advancement in technology and growth of the gaming industry (especially casinos) means existing regulations must be reviewed to meet up with current trends. Mbasi, (2013) talked about how the Betting Lotteries and Gaming Act, Chapter 131 served the industry in Kenya well until casinos grew in the early 1990s. Gaming laws are also necessary to combat various issues such as employee licensing, taxation and organized crime. 2.8 Casino Industry in Ghana With less than 10 licensed gambling houses in Ghana as at 2009, the Casino industry was the least commercialized gambling activity in the country compared to Sport Betting and Lotteries. All the licensed Casinos were sited in the major cities of Ghana-Accra, Kumasi, and Tema. Although small by Las Vegas standards, Ghana was home to four major land based casinos and these were opened mostly in the evenings (Roy, Mailhot, Gosselin, Paquette, & Peretz, 2009). 13 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh The earliest casinos that were established included La Palm Casino, Millionaires Casino (Accra), Millionaires Casino (Kumasi) and Golden Dragon (Tema) which offered games such as jackpot slots, video poker machines, table games, American roulette, 3 card poker and casino holdem among others. Gambling at online casinos is perfectly legal in Ghana as opined by (Mbasi 2013), however, many Ghanaians do not gamble online mostly because they cannot afford computers or internet access. Although not that many Ghanaians gamble on the Internet due to the lack of affordability of computers and internet access. Amid internet usage in Ghana being rapidly increasing as more Ghanaian gain access to internet, there were many foreign and Ghanaian casinos that had been issued online gaming license by the Gaming Commission of Ghana In 2009, there were over three hundred and twenty (320) online casinos both local and foreign that were offering online casino gambling opportunities to players from Ghana. Some of these casino operations came in the form of mobile applications that would allow players to participate in casino games directly casino games directly via their mobile devices. Most of the Ghanaian players preferred these online casinos that were run be foreign operators usually because of the superior look, game range and type of services offered. Fast forward to 2019, there are about twenty-six (26) land based casinos in Ghana spread across the regions of Greater Accra, Ashanti and Western and offering online services as well. Greater Accra has the largest number with about sixteen (16) casinos. These casinos are duly licensed and highly regulated by the Gaming Commission of Ghana to ensure fair and transparent games, generation of revenue for government, protection of the public from negative social consequences as well as guarding against money laundering. 14 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh 2.9 Casinos and Local Employment In recent times, a major issue in the debate has to do with the real impact of casino gaming on local employment as agreed by Garreth (2004). Casino establishment comes with many positives such as revenue generation and employment creation. According to Garrett (2004), states consider the gambling industry’s potential to create economic growth in the United States as primary reason for licensing of casinos. This can be likened to Ghana as the numerous benefits of casino operations can lead to economic growth and development. A study by Cotti (2006) revealed that employment is increased significantly in host counties relative to counties without as a result of casino introduction. Further, Garrett (2004) suggests that the greatest benefits that are perceived from operating casino include growth in employment, increased tax revenue as well as growth in retail sales. Casino establishment can be seen as a means of increasing employment among residents of a particular community. Although Garrett (2004) asserts that casino proponents and strong supporters mostly claim that these casinos leads to increased local employment because they should create additional jobs within communities where they are established, he suggests that several factors must be closely considered in the evaluation of the employment effect. One can extend these factors to apply to any industry and business. In determining the relationship between casinos and local employments, it is essential to consider the level of skill required of the workforce as well as where these casinos are located. There is a general notion or premise about increased employment and reduction in local unemployment arising from labour requirements of a casino’s operations which is expected to come from communities where these casinos are set up. This may not necessarily be the case as beneficiaries of casino employment may be nonresidents of the community in question. This may arise if residents of host communities do not possess the needed casino job skills such as accounting, card dealings, security etc., and the casino will have to employ from outside the community. When this 15 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh happens, the net effect of this casino employment on residents of the community becomes zero. To Garrett (2004), the promised employment increase of residents of the local community normally cited as argument to establish the casino may not be realized in these instances. In as much as casino employment is normally used as economic development indicator, true economic development only comes about with an increased value to society. On the other hand, casino establishment may bring up many negatives to these communities such as gambling addiction, money laundering, closure of related businesses and other forms of crime. Brown (2005) suggests that gambling increases is generally thought to positively influence bankruptcy, crime rates as well as other costs to society which are difficult to quantify. These negative impacts coupled with unchanged local employment may further worsen the plights of these communities. Garrett (2004) however made an interesting observation by suggesting that casinos may actually increase total employment in these communities when they generate indirect non-casino jobs in the communities resulting from increases in demand for non-casino goods and services. He continues to says that employees that were previously unemployed or had recently moved to the community spend incomes received as payments from the casino on goods and services like entertainment and housing. Thus, the increase in demand for these services will lead to an increase in the firm’s labor demand and subsequently increase employment. 16 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction This section explains the research approach employed in arriving at various outcomes for the objectives. The section covers research design, population, sample size, sampling techniques as well as data collection procedure, data analysis and ethical considerations that were observed by the researcher. Kothari (2004) defines methodology as a systematic, theoretical analysis of the methods applied to a field of study. 3.2 Research Design A research design can be seen as conceptual structure in which the research to be carried out can be made. This encompasses a blueprint to collect, measure as well as analyze the data that is collected. In the design is where the decision as to when, where, how much and by which means as concerns the research will be determined. This particular work employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches in achieving the set objectives. More specifically, a cross-sectional survey design was adopted which enabled the researcher to collect and gather data from respondents at one point in time. According to Cohen, Manion and Morrison (2000) the survey design permits researchers to determining the relationships that exist between among variables. 3.3 Target Population The target population can be described as a complete set of elements that possess some common characteristic defined by the sampling criteria established by the researcher. This 17 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh study had a finite population and comprises employees of all the casino facilities within the Osu community. As at the time of the research however, only three casinos namely Golden Dragon, Palm Gold (Piccadilly) and Delfino Entertainment (Caesars Casino) were willing and ready to participate out of the five that were available in the community. These three facilities had a total of two hundred and sixty (260) employees who occupied positions such as dealers, pit bosses, table supervisors, cashiers, bar attendants etc. The breakdown of the employees for the three casinos are one hundred and seventy (170), seventy-two (72) and eighteen (18) for Golden Dragon, Caesars and Piccadilly Casino respectively. 3.4 Sample Size and Technique For lack of adequate funding and time constraint, it became needful for the researcher to select a sample for the study. Inferences were made about the population to ensure that the sample size selected was representative enough. For this reason, a sample determination formula developed by Miller (2003) was used. This formula is 𝑵 𝒏 = [𝟏 + 𝑵 (𝒆)𝟐] Where; n = desired sample size N = population size e = tolerable error margin @ 5% With the total number of casino employees in the three casinos in Osu standing at Two Hundred and Sixty (260), solving for n from the above formula will result in 𝟐𝟔𝟎 𝒏 = = 𝟏𝟓𝟖 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 [𝟏 + 𝟐𝟔𝟎 (𝟎. 𝟎𝟓)𝟐] 18 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh With respect to this study, the purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used to select the participants for the study. The purposive sampling technique helped the researcher to purposely select respondents who have adequate knowledge of the study objective and are in the casino industry. The convenience sampling method was also used by the researcher to select respondents who were readily available and willing to participate in the study. According to Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2012) there are no other criteria to this type of sampling method except that people be available and willing to participate. 3.5 Sources of Data The main data used for this study are from primary sources. This primary data was collected by the researcher through the administration of a well-structured questionnaire. Secondary data was also used in this research which were obtained from information that were contained in various literature downloaded from notable journals indexed in databases such emerald, sage, google scholar, and science direct as well as from the Gaming Commission of Ghana. 3.5.1 Primary Sources Several approaches were available in getting primary data but to get very reliable and valid information, the researcher contacted and reached out to employees of all casinos in Osu. This primary data was collected via a well-structured opened ended questionnaire. Interview of managers and supervisors of the various casino facilities within Osu was another means through which the data was collected. The researcher was able to gather cross sectional data to help in the analysis. 19 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh 3.5.2 Secondary Sources The study also made use of secondary data in collecting information. The sources of the secondary data collected include articles, journals and other information gathered from the Gaming Commission of Ghana. 3.6 Data Collection Procedure and Data Collection Instrument The questionnaires used where self-administered to the participants who were mostly employees of four casino facilities at Osu namely Golden Dragon, Caesars Casino, Gold Royal Galaxy and Piccadilly Casino. A few of the respondents were either managers or supervisors of these facilities. The researcher took time to explain the purpose and content of the questionnaires to each respondent and allowed them to seek clarification when necessary, and provided them with maximum explanation. To this end, the researcher provided a contact number on all questionnaires administered. Considering their busy schedule and mode of work attendance, the respondents were given a timeframe of two weeks to complete and return. The questionnaire is divided into two sections. Section “A” focuses on the demographic characteristics of the respondents such as gender, job title etc. Section B to examined the overall impact of casino employment on the host community. 3.7 Data Analysis and Presentation For achieving the objective of how casino employments affects residents of Osu, a quantitative approach was adopted by the researcher. The questionnaires where codified so as to give numeric values to responses. Gathered data from respondents were using descriptive statistics like tables, graphs and charts. The findings after running the analysis where mainly presented qualitatively. 20 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh Statistical analysis of this data was made using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software (SPSS). Tables and charts used as representations ensured easy and quick interpretation of data. The responses were also expressed in per centages. Data from the completed questionnaire were checked for consistency. The items were grouped based on the responses given by the respondents and were coded for easy usage of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The researcher used a seven point Likert scale to weight the responses such that “Strongly Agree = 7 points”, “Agree = 6 points”, “Slightly Agree = 5 points”, “Neutral = 4 points”, ‘Slightly Disagree = 3 points”, “Disagree = 2 points and “Strongly Disagree = 1 point”. This method was used because it is the best instrument to identify, compare, describe and reach a conclusion. Trend analysis of existing data was done to ascertain movements of employment over time. 3.8 Ethical Considerations This section considers the ethical principles underlying the research. The following ethical principles were taken into consideration in the data gathering process of the study. Respondents administered with the questionnaires were assured of their confidentially by ensuring that their names and personal details were not included in the questionnaire. Also, participation in the research was made voluntary. No respondent was coerced to engage in the study. Respondents were also assured that the information gathered would be used purely for academic purposes. 3.9 Limitation and Delimitations of the Study The study will give a general overview of gaming industries globally but will focus mainly on the Ghanaian industry in other to throw more light on activities in the sector. Time factor is the major limitation to this study as deadline for submission of this work is less than a year (with 21 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh author having to meet other academic commitments). Inadequate funds and low response rate of questionnaires will be other limitations to this study. If not for time and resource constraint, this study would have gone further to compare the unemployment rate within the area under discussion with the employment rate being researched. This study would have also estimated the net value of the Gaming Industry in Ghana. This would help to ascertain whether revenues to government is a true reflection of the industry’s worth. 22 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh CHAPTER FOUR DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF RESULT 4.1 Introduction Chapter four of this research provides the analysis of data that was collected and presented using both qualitative and quantitative research techniques. The survey made use of One Hundred and Thirty-Seven (137) questionnaires that had been filled and returned by employees of the three casinos in namely Golden Dragon, Caesars Casino and Piccadilly Casino. Findings of the study were based on the specific objectives of this research. 4.2 Descriptive Analysis 4.2.1 Response Rate Out of a total of One Hundred and Seventy (170) questionnaires administered, Twenty-One (21) were not filled and returned, while Twelve (12) returned were partially filled which could not help in making a concrete analysis and so were taken out. Thus, only the One Hundred and Thirty-Seven (137) completed responses were used in the analysis and his represented Eighty per cent (80%) response rate (i.e. 137/170 = 0.806). 4.2.2 Demographic Characteristics of Respondents Table 4.1 below shows that 59.9 per cent of the respondents were male with the remaining 40.1 per cent being female. With respect to age composition of respondents, the largest group aged twenty to twenty-nine years (20-29) totaling 69 and representing 50.4 per cent of total respondents. The least age group was below 20 years which represented 2.9 per cent of total respondents. Considering educational background, majority of the respondents were 23 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh WASSCE/SSCE/O’ Level holders. This was evident as the 99 of total respondents represented 72.3 per cent, followed by 29 Diploma/HND holders, 8 Degree holders and 1 BECE holder representing 21.2, 5.8 and 0.7 per cent respectively. Table 4.1: Sex, Age and Educational Background of Respondent Variable Frequency Per cent Sex Male 82 59.9 Female 55 40.1 Total 137 100 Age Below 20 4 2.9 20 – 29 69 50.4 30 – 39 57 41.6 40 – 49 7 5.1 50 – 60 0 0 60 + 0 0 Total 137 100 Education BECE 1 0.7 Background WASSCE / SSCE / O' Level 99 72.3 Diploma / HND 29 21.2 Degree 8 5.8 Postgraduate 0 0 Professional Qualification 0 0 Total 137 100 Sources: Field data, 2019 4.2.3 Discussion: Gender, Age & Educational Background & Local Casino Employment Gender plays a significant role when casinos are recruiting. Casino owners will normally like to see staff with friendly and smiling faces and this more often than not translates into females. Females are also considered to be more honest and circumspect especially when huge amounts of monies are dealt with in casinos. Therefore, the ratio of employable females to males in the community where a casino establishes influences how many people will be recruited in general. 24 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh In the Osu community for instance, it was highly likely that not many females were willing and available to be employed in the casinos. This had an effect on the total number of employees as males dominated females. The age range of residents in a community goes a long way in determining how many of these people get to be employed. If most of residents of a community fall outside the working age (i.e. 18-59 years), casinos within that area will have to look outside for workers. As revealed in the field data collected from Osu, most of the casino workers fall within 20 to 49 years. This will require majority of residents to fall within this age bracket to increases their chances of getting employed. Education may be a necessary condition for casino employment because of the use of figures, calculations etc. in daily activities of casinos. However, higher education may not be needed for one to advance in his or her casino employment career. This was evident as data collected showed that most employees had WASSCE/SSCE/O’Level certificates. Even those with degree or HND qualifications earned the same as their colleagues without. Table 4.2 indicates that most the respondents (i.e. 106) which represents 77.4 per cent have never worked with a casino while the remaining 31 respondents which represents 22.6 per cent actually have previous casino experience before joining their current employer. With regards to employment status, 69 and 68 of the respondents representing 50.4 and 49.6 respectively were permanent and contract. However, these statuses do not necessarily influence salary level of these staff. The table also depicts that majority of the respondents (i.e. 114 or 83.2%) reside outside the community of Osu as against the 23 (which represents 16.8%) that reside in the community. 25 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh Table4.2: Respondents’ Job Profile Statement Frequency Per cent Is this your first Casino job? Yes 106 77.4 No 31 22.6 Total 137 100 What is your employment status? Permanent 69 50.4 Contract 68 49.6 Total 137 100 Where do you stay? Osu 23 16.8 Other 114 83.2 Total 137 100 How many years have you worked with 0 – 2 34 24.8 your organization? 3 – 5 55 40.1 6 – 10 42 30.7 11 & above 6 4.4 Total 137 100 Sources: Field data, 2019 4.2.4 Discussion: Job Profile and availability of labor in the community People tend to avail themselves more when job security is guaranteed to some extent. Considering the results gathered from respondents however, the number of contract employees are almost the same as the permanent ones. This raises questions about how secured their job is. With the perception of job insecurity associated with casinos, residents may not avail themselves and would rather search for other more secured jobs. The net effect is that only few people in the community get employed. 26 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh Figure 4.1: Income Level of Employees Sources: Field data, 2019 From figure 4.1, most of the respondents fall within the income range of GH¢501.00 - GH¢1,000.00. This is shown as 110 respondents in this ranges represents 80.3 per cent of the total. Further, 19 respondents representing 13.9 per cent have their income falling below GH¢500.00 with 5 respondents representing 3.6 per cent having their income between GH¢1,001.00- GH¢1,500.00. The remaining 3 respondents which represents 2.2 per cent of the total respondents also have income levels between GH¢1,501.00 and GH¢2,000.00. 4.2.5 Discussion: Income levels and casino employee turnover rate Income levels also influence people’s decision to either avail themselves or stay in casino jobs. From the field data collected, most respondents said their salaries were not adequate to cater for themselves and dependents which presupposes they will move to different jobs when the chance presents itself. Many residents of the Osu community may have been employed by the 27 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh casinos but may quit and be replaced by people from outside the community. When this happens, the direct benefit to local residents reduces. 4.2.6 Level of Job Satisfaction of Casino Employees For this section, a descriptive analysis is performed to ascertain the satisfaction of respondents with regards to evaluating the effect of casino employment on residents of host communities. Table 4.3 below shows evidence that most respondents are satisfied with the various statements in the questionnaire that relates to their job satisfaction. However, 66 out of the 137 respondents agreed to the statement “I am searching for a new job”. This is represented in per centage terms as 48.2% (2.9 + 23.4 + 21.9). A possible explanation for this could be derived from the statement “My Salary is enough to cater for me and my dependents”. 111 out of 137 respondents which represents 81.1% (9.5 + 50.4 + 21.2) disagreed with this statement. 4.3 Analysis and discussion of Interview with Managers of the three Casinos This section presents analysis of qualitative questions in the questionnaire for managers of the various casinos under observation. 28 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh Table 4.3: Level of Satisfaction of Casino Employees No. Statement Per centage (%) SA A SLA N SLD D SD 1 It is easy for residents of Osu to get a casino 5.8 15.3 15.3 10.2 15.3 29.2 8.8 job in Osu. 2 Most of my colleagues at work are residents 0.7 2.2 4.4 4.4 10.9 56.2 21.2 of Osu. 3 I am searching for a new job. 2.9 23.4 21.9 10.9 19.7 19.7 1.5 4 If I get a new job, I will leave immediately. 10.9 25.5 25.5 23.4 8 4.4 2.2 5 I am not satisfied with my current job. 3.6 16.1 17.5 10.9 32.1 16.8 2.9 6 My Salary is enough to cater for me and my 2.9 5.8 8 2.2 9.5 50.4 21.2 dependents. 7 The casino business has reduced 4.4 4.4 27.7 16.1 29.9 13.1 4.4 unemployment in Osu. 8 Had it not been this casino in Osu, I would 2.9 16.8 16.1 5.1 29.2 26.2 3.6 have been unemployed. 9 The casino business is booming in Osu 9.5 19.7 22.6 4.4 23.4 18.2 2.2 10 In order to be promoted from my current 0.7 2.9 8 11.7 18.2 37.2 21.2 position, I need to further my education. Sources: Field data, 2019 Key SA Strongly Agree SLA Slightly Agree A Agree N Neutral D Disagree SLD Slightly Disagree SD Strongly Disagree 29 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh 4.3.1 Number of staff who reside in Osu All three casinos had majority of employees residing outside the Osu community. Piccadilly Casino had all 18 employees outside Osu, with Caesars and Golden Dragon having 12 and 50 of their employees respectively coming from the community out of a total of 72 and 170 respectively. Only 5 employees from these casinos moved to Osu after getting the casino jobs. These 5 are all staff of Caesars Casino. In per centage terms, employees who reside outside Osu represents 100%, 83.3% and 70.6% of total staff of the above casinos respectively. This represents 76.2% (198/260) of the total staff of these casinos who do not come from the community. 4.3.2 Considerations for potential casino employee All three casino managers mentioned previous casino experience, minimum academic qualification and general employment history as factors that influence their employment of an individual. Piccadilly Casino mentioned that the ideal situation will be for most employees to come from the community because of proximity but faces the contrary. Golden Dragon and Caesars Casino were however indifferent about location of potential employees. Further, Golden Dragon and Caesars Casino were not particular about reducing unemployment in the community with regards to their employment policy. Piccadilly Casino however factors this in their policy. 4.4 Trend of Casino Employment in Osu This section analyses the trend in casino employment for the various casinos in the community to ascertain the movements over time. The researcher chose to begin from 2014 because the Gaming Commission started charging employee fees of casinos in this and so made it possible to have records of number of casino workers. 30 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 DELFINO ENTERTAINMENT 54 72 72 72 72 72 GOLD ROYAL CASINO 0 0 52 33 35 51 GOLDEN DRAGON OSU 102 102 100 101 151 170 PALM GOLD (PICADDILLY) 70 61 42 46 24 18 VICTORIA TIP GH 0 0 83 95 39 12 Figure 4.2: Trend of Casino Employment (2014 - 2019) Source: Gaming Commission of Ghana From figure 4.2, it can be seen that Golden Dragon maintained higher number of employees throughout the years under review, increasing in most years except in 2016 when the total number dropped to the lowest (i.e. 100), from a stable 102 in 2014 and 2015. Delfino Casino had a stable employee number of 72 from 2015 to 2019, with the lowest number being 54 in 2014. Both Gold Royal and Victoria Tip started operations in 2016, the decreasing in total employee number from 2017 to 2019. Unlike Golden Dragon Casino, Piccadilly Casino had their total employee number decreasing most of the period, only increasing from 42 to 46 in 2016 to 2017. 31 NO. OF EMPLOYEES University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh 4.4.1 Total Casino Employment trend in Osu (2014-2019) This part deals with analysis of total casino employment over the period. A cumulative trend line is used in analyzing this movement from the year 2014 to 2019 using all five casinos in Osu. TREND OF CASINO EMPLOYMENT FROM 2014 TO 2019 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Sum of Sum of Sum of Sum of Sum of Sum of 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 TOTAL 226 235 349 347 321 323 Figure 4.3: Trend of Total Casino Employment (2014 – 2019) Source: Gaming Commission of Ghana From figure 4.3 above, total casino employment in Osu increased from 226 in 2014 to 235 and 349 in 2015 and 2016. This represented 3.98% and 48.51% increases in 2015 and 2016. The total number dropped to 347 and 321 respectively in 2017 and 2018. These also represented 0.57 and 7.49 decreases in per centage terms. The year 2019 however saw a slight increase in the total number of casino employees from 321 to 323 representing a marginal increase of 0.62%. It is worth noting that in spite of the years that saw total casino employees decreasing as depicted by figure three, over time, total number of casino employees have increased. This is shown by the upward sloping trend line. 32 NO. OF EMPLOYEES University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh CHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY, CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 Summary of findings The aim of the study was to assess the impact of casino employment on residents of host communities with emphasis on casinos in Osu. In conducting this study, the required data was obtained through structured questionnaires and interview. To determine the sample size from the total population of the study, the researcher used formula based-sampled size determination. A total of 170 questionnaires were distributed to the 260 employees of 3 casinos in Osu. Out of the 170 questionnaires distributed, 137 were fully completed with 12 partially completed. Analysis was done using Statistical Package for Service Solution (SPSS version 22) and Microsoft Excel 2013 software. Upon analyzing the data, the following were uncovered. Firstly, the research revealed that majority of casino employees do not reside in the community in which the casinos operate. This was evident as 198 out of 260 employees which represents 76.2% reside outside Osu. This presupposes that casino employment in Osu does not have significant impact on residents with regards to reducing unemployment in the community. The study also brought to light that almost half of the employees are contract staff which means job security is not guaranteed since job can terminated at any time or contract may not be renewed when it expires. Specifically, 49.6 percent of the respondents of the respondents were contract staff of the casinos. Secondly, using data on casino employees from 2014 to 2019, it was revealed that casino employment has increased over the period under consideration. To be more specific, a cumulative percentage increase of 45.05 is depicted by a positively sloped trend line in figure 4.3 above. 33 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh 5.2 Conclusion The study found evidence which indicates that most employees of casinos within the community come from outside. Location of employees is thus essential in assessing how residents of a community benefits from casino employment. It was also evident that even though casinos require labor for their operations, most of these employees come from outside the Osu community which leads to very little casino employment effect on the community. Further, considering overall employee turnover and casino employment in general, the study found a positive trend in the community over the five years under consideration. Casino operations confer some advantages on communities where they are established such as pushing average wage of people up, creating entertainment and generation of tax revenue to those municipalities. Casino gaming offers opportunity for increased employment and spurs economic growth as well as increase demand for other non-casino products in the community like cigarette, food and accommodation. In spite of the above mentioned positives casino operations have the possibility of causing harm to the community. These include gambling addictions, committing crimes to get money for gambling, under aged gambling, reduced employment productivity, financial problems, bad debts etc. 5.3 Recommendations and Suggestions for Further Research The findings give insight on how casinos affect the various communities where they are established with respect to how many residents get employed. This can inform decisions of stakeholders in the gaming industry. The following recommendations are put forward by the researcher. The Gaming Commission of Ghana should endeavor to register and accredit all staff of casinos in Ghana. This will mean licensing these workers and therefore having control as well as 34 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh monitor their actions and progress in the industry. Casinos will therefore have to apply to the Gaming Commission when in need of staff. With structured database on these employees and potential employees, persons from specific communities will be posted to casinos located within. Employees’ job security will also be enhances when a system as suggested is put in place by the Gaming Commission. Secondly, the Gaming Commission should endeavor to get a provision in the Gaming Act that mandates casinos to employ a certain proportion of their total employees from the local communities where they are established. Also, the Gaming Commission of Ghana should put in place legal structures that mandates casino operators to put in place measures to prevent gambling addictions and under aged gambling. In this way, the casinos can be held liable for people who fall victim to these exposures and threats as a result of their operations. 35 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh REFERENCES Brown, C.J. (2005). The impact of turning stone casino on employment, taxation and social factors in the Three-County Area. Colgate University. Casino Licensing Decree 1975 (NRCD 320) (GHA). Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2000). Research Methods in Education. 5th Edition, Routledge Falmer, London. http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780203224342. Cole, H., & Griffiths, M.D. (2007). Social interaction in massively multiplayer online role- playing gamers. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 10, 575-583. Cotti, C. (2006). The Casino effect: Do casinos spur growth and which communities benefit? Department of Economics, University of Carolina. Football Pools Authority Act 1961 (ACT78) (GHA) Gambling Machines Decree 1973 (NRCD 174) (GHA). Gaming Commission of Ghana. Garrett, T.A. (2004). Casino gaming and local employment trends. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Luis Review Vol. 86 No. 1 pp hppts://doi.org/10.20955lr.86.9-22. Jansz, J., & Martens, L. (2005). Gaming at a LAN event: The social context of playing digital interactive games (DIGs). Kothari, C.R. (2004). Research methodology: Methods and techniques. 2nd edition, New Age International Publishers, New Delhi. Kristen, J.P.F. (2016). The economic growth impact of commercial casinos in South Africa. Krotoski, A. (2004). Chicks and Joysticks: An exploration of women and gaming. 36 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh Lei, L., & Wu, Y. (2007). Adolescents’ paternal attachment and internet use. CyberPsychology & Behavior: The Impact of the Internet, Multimedia and virtual reality on behavior and society. Vol. 10 No. 9 633. Lotteries & Betting Act 1960 (ACT31) (GHA) Master Commerce in Economic Development and Policy Issues. University of Johannesburg. Mbasi, F. M. (2013). The regulatory regime governing the casino industry in Kenya: A need for reforms, Master of laws. University of Nairobi. Repetti, T. (2011). Recent research trends in the gaming industry: A Content analysis of literature in casino profits, UNLV Gaming Research & Review. Journal, Vol. 15 p91- 108. Ribot, J., Agrawal, A., & Larson, A. (2006). Recentralizing while decentralizing: How national governments reappropriate forest resources. Journal of World Development 34(11),1864-1886. Stine, W. F. (1994). Is local revenue response to federal aid symmetrical? National Tax Journal 47,799-816. The Gaming Act 2006 (Act 721) s. 72 p.25 (GHA). Walker, D.M., & Jackson, J.D. (2013). Casino and Economic Growth: An update, The Journal of Gaming Business and Economics. Vol. 7 No. 2 pp 80-87. Weibel, A., Rost, K., & Osterloh, M. (2007). ‘Crowding-Out of intrinsic motivation-opening the black box’, working paper, University of Zurich. Yee, N. (2006b). Motivations for play in online games. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 9, 772 37 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRE TOPIC: IMPACT OF CASINO EMPLOYMENT ON HOST COMMUNITIES; A STUDY OF CASINO EMPLOYMENT IN OSU. This questionnaire is mainly intended for educational purposes and would not be used for any other purpose. The researcher is a Masters student of the University of Ghana Business School. This research work is one of the requirements for the award of a MSC Development Finance. Be therefore assured that your answers and comments would be treated confidentially. Key Contact Person: 0242364331 TO BE COMPLETED BY STAFF/EMPLOYEEE INSTRUCTION: Please tick √ beside the responses that are applicable. Section A: Background of Staff Name of Casino:[ ] Current job Position: [ ] 1. Gender of respondent. a) Male [ ] b) Female [ ] 2. Which age group do you belong to? a) Under 20 [ ] b) 20-29 [ ] c) 30-39 [ ] d) 40-49 [ ] e) 50-60 [ ] f) 60+ [ ] 3. Where do you stay? Osu [ ] Other [ ] 4. What is your employment status? a) Permanent staff [ ] b) Contract staff [ ] 5. Did you move to your current location because of closeness to your current job? a) Yes [ ] b) No [ ] 6. If your answer in 5 above is ‘Yes’, where were you staying before? [ ] 7. Is this your first Casino job? a) Yes [ ] b) No [ ] 8. How many years have you worked with the casino? a) 0-2 [ ] b) 3-5 [ ] c) 6-10 [ ] d) 11-15 [ ] e) 16-20 [ ] f) 20+ [ ] 9. How many hours do you work in a day? [ ] 10. How many days do you work in a week? [ ] 11. How many ‘off days’ are you entitled to in a week? [ ] 12. What is your highest academic qualification? 38 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh a) BECE [ ] b) WASSCE/SSSCE/O’Level [ ] c) Diploma/HND [ ] d) Degree [ ] e) Postgraduate [ ] f) Professional [ ] 13. What is your income range (in GHS)? a) Below 500 [ ] b) 501-1000 [ ] c) 1001-1500 [ ] d) 1501-2000 [ ] e) 2000+ [ ] Section B: KINDLY TICK THE RESPONSE THAT REFLECTS YOUR TRUEST FEELING STRONGLY DISAGREE SLIGHTLY NEUTRAL SLIGHTLY AGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE (D) DISAGREE (N) AGREE (A) AGREE (SA) (SD) (SLD) (SLA) =1 =2 =3 =4 =5 =6 =7 1. It is easy for residents of Osu to get a casino job in Osu. 2. Most of my colleagues at work are residents of Osu. 3. I am searching for a new job. 4. If I get a new job, I will leave immediately. 5. I am not satisfied with my current job. 6. My Salary is enough to cater for me and my dependents. 7. The casino business has reduced unemployment in Osu. 8. Had it not been this casino in Osu, I would have been unemployed. 9. The casino business is booming in Osu. 10. In order to be promoted from my current position, I need to further my education. Thank you very much for your CO-OPERATION 39