Perceptions and Acceptance of Cashless Gambling Technology: An Empirical Study of U.S. and Australian Consumers

Abstract

There is a paucity of theory-driven research investigating the factors influencing consumer acceptance of cashless gambling technology. Thus, the purpose of this study is to explore whether the six constructs in the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (i.e., performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, and price-value) significantly influence intention to use cashless gambling technology. This work further examined important determinants of performance expectancy and effort expectancy, based on the Technology Acceptance Model 3. Survey responses were collected from U.S. consumers who had gambled at a land-based casino in the United States, and Australian consumers who had gambled at a club/casino in Australia in the preceding 12 months. The data were analyzed via confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. We found that social influence and price-value significantly influenced the intention to use cashless gambling technology. Performance expectancy was found to be an important predictor of behavioral intention. The results identified effort expectancy and hedonic motivation as key determinants of performance expectancy. Facilitating conditions and hedonic motivation were found to be significant determinants of effort expectancy. Our findings reveal new avenues of exploration in the emerging field of cashless technology within the hospitality/gaming sector. Finally, this study provides recommendations for hospitality/gaming operators and vendors seeking to enhance customer perceptions and acceptance of cashless technology.