ASSESSING THE EFFECTS OF ILLEGAL GAMBLING IN BARANGAY BALINGASA QUEZON CITY

Abstract

Illegal gambling poses significant social and economic challenges in urban communities. In Barangay Balingasa, Quezon City, unregulated gambling activities have been linked to unemployment, family conflict, and financial instability. This study assesses the effects of illegal gambling on residents’ socioeconomic status, psychological well‑being, and family dynamics. A descriptive quantitative design is employed to measure residents’ perceptions of the impacts of gambling. Thirty respondents—selected via purposive sampling and representing various age groups, civil statuses, educational backgrounds, and occupations (police officers, barangay officials, and others)—completed a structured questionnaire. The instrument, grounded in prior literature, captures demographic data and ratings on socioeconomic, psychological, local economic, and family‑related effects using a four‑point Likert scale. Data are analyzed using weighted means and frequency distributions. Respondents were primarily aged 26–33 (30 percent), married (56.7 percent) and college graduates (66.7 percent). Police officers, barangay officials, and other occupations were equally represented (33.3 percent each). Socioeconomic effects received a weighted mean of 3.90 (strongly agree), family problems 3.93 (strongly agree), local economic impacts 3.87 (strongly agree), and psychological effects 3.77 (strongly agree). The most frequently cited challenge was insufficient data on illegal gambling incidents (96.7 percent). The study indicated that illegal gambling significantly undermined socioeconomic stability, family cohesion, and psychological health in Barangay Balingasa. As a result, it was recommended that local authorities implement comprehensive data‑gathering protocols, establish community education programs, and strengthen collaboration between law enforcement and social services to mitigate gambling‑related harms.