The Evaluation of Gambling Sector’s Social Costs in Lithuania

Abstract

This article analyses the social costs of gambling sector in Lithuania. The aim of the research is to evaluate the change of gambling sector’s gambling gross revenue according to the established right to submit a request to self-exclude from gambling since May 1, 2017. The scientific problem of the research is how to define and evaluate gambling sector’s social costs. The analysis is conducted by evaluating dependency connection between gambling sector’s gambling gross revenue and gross domestic product taking into account the changing quantity of requests to self-exclude from gambling and current economic situation in Lithuania. The following methods are used for analysis: graphical analysis, paired correlation analysis and linear regression analysis. First of all, the conception of the social cost of gambling is being analysed in the article. Then using previously specified methods the relationship between gambling sector’s gambling gross revenue and gross domestic product in the country is evaluated. Using a linear regression equation, the model, showing how gambling gross revenue of gambling sector was expected to change in response to changes in the country's gross domestic product is obtained. According to gambling gross revenue for 2017-2019 the model reveals that gambling sector revenue, considering the change in gross domestic product, had a higher growth potential and the right to submit a request to self-exclude from gambling established in 2017 may have had a serious effect on slowing down the growth of gambling revenue.