Effect of pachinko parlour openings and closings on neighbourhood income-generating crimes in Japan: 6.5 years of observations

Abstract

Abstract Background Electronic gambling machines (EGMs) in gambling venues cause gambling-related harm and are a public health concern. This study focused on pachinko parlours as gambling venues and income-generating crimes as gambling-related harm. We aimed to verify whether income-generating crime rates increase in proximity to pachinko parlours and during the opening and post-closing periods of pachinko parlours relative to the pre-opening periods. Methods We used crime records spanning 6.5 years, including data on the opening and closing days of pachinko parlours for 6.5 years. We also sampled the addresses of convenience stores, bowling alleys, and households with official land prices all over Japan. The dependent variable was the daily income-generating crime incidence rate. Areas within 0.5 km, 0.5–1 km, 1–5 km, and 5–10 km radii of the pachinko parlours were the independent variables. The pre-, opening-, and post-closing periods of the pachinko parlours were also independent variables. The covariates included the number of convenience stores and always open pachinko parlours near pachinko parlours. Data were analysed using an analysis of variance (ANOVA) and covariance (ANCOVA). We also used differences-in-differences analysis (DD) to reveal the increase in income-generating crime rates in neighbourhoods exposed to the opening or closing of pachinko parlours. Results The daily income-generating crime incidence rate was significantly higher in areas within 0.5–1 km and 1–5 km radii of pachinko parlours than in those within 0.5 km and 5–10 km radii of them. The daily income-generating crime incidence rate was also significantly higher during the opening and post-closing periods than during the pre-opening period, even when controlling for the number of convenience stores and always open pachinko parlours. In particular, fraud crime rates increased with the opening and closing of pachinko parlours. Conclusions The highest income-generating crime incidence rate was observed within a 0.5–1 km and 1–5 km radius of pachinko parlours. The opening of pachinko parlours also increased income-generating crime incidence rates, which increased after closing. Pachinko parlours are considered to be creating public harm because the corporate activities of these parlours make the youth in their neighbourhood perpetrators of fraud and older adults its victims. Future research should examine the current findings using official crime records.