Institutional anomie theory and gambling-related crime: An empirical test in Macau

Mengliang Dai*, Xiaoyu Zhuang, Ting Kin Ng

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Abstract

To date, scholars have rarely applied institutional anomie theory to gambling-related crime. Using time series data on the rates of illegal gambling, money laundering, organised crime, and drug-related crime, as well as various indicators of the economy and noneconomic social institutions, this study tested the applicability of institutional anomie theory to gambling-related crime. The study found that unemployment positively related to organised crime and drug-related crime. GDP per capita is positively associated with illegal gambling crime, organised crime, and drug-related crime. However, all social institutional variables failed to predict gambling-related crime. Moreover, for the interaction effects, this finding also provided limited and mixed support for the theory. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)335-358
Number of pages24
JournalJournal of Criminology
Volume56
Issue number2-3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2023

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Law

User-Defined Keywords

  • Institutional anomie theory
  • Macau
  • gambling-related crime
  • interaction effect
  • social institutions

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