About gambling

After exploring the other reasons for gambling we conclude, first, that there are clear, intrinsic and humanly fulfilling reasons to gamble: socialising, recreation and the opportunity to hope. Second, there are some important instrumental reasons why people say they gamble - notably, winning to make money - which are unsound.

Gambling can contribute to the enrichment of individual and community life. here are clear principles, which, if followed, would make that contribution reasonable. !f both conclusions hold, then the provision of gambling can be an ethical business. A gambling industry that took itself seriously could undo the harm done and discover its real potential to contribute to human fulfilment and the common good.

The gambling industry needs to change the way it sees itself, say Rufus Black and Hatden Ramsay. Gambling has always received bad press, and often deservedly so. he harm caused by gambling demands a swifter and more effective response than it has generally received. "owever, gambling per se is not problem gambling, and the best response to problem gambling is one that recognises and remains true to gambling#s worthwhile purposes: recreation, social interaction and the opportunity for dreaming and hoping. !f today#s gambling activities are to be humanly enriching and reasonable, the gambling industry needs to change how it sees itself. he $%%&s saw a dramatic expansion of legalised gambling in Australia, where there has been a marked increase in gaming machines, sports betting and casinos. his growth has prompted sometimes fierce debate on gambling#s social and economic desirability. 'ut the debate has largely displaced the necessary discussion on whether gambling itself is ethical. (ur research offers principles to help distinguish wrongful or unreasonable gambling from acceptable gambling, principles that are relevant to gamblers, gambling businesses and regulators. )ather than rely on public opinion or loose moralism, ethical self-regulation must be grounded on a compelling and well-reasoned philosophical basis. he ethics of gambling can be understood by asking two *uestions. !s there anything humanly fulfilling in gambling+ And, are the choices made by gamblers and providers of gambling reasonable and respectful to others+ ,e can start to answer the first *uestion by asking: why do people gamble+ he Australian -roductivity .ommission#s report in $%%% summarised people#s reasons for gambling as hoping and dreaming, making money, social interaction, recreation and charity. / he dream of winning/ was identified as the leading reason.
A gambling industry that took itself seriously could undo the harm done and discover its real potential.

0reaming about winning appears to sustain the psychologically vital and ethically enriching *uality of hope. A person gambling for this reason does so not because he or she expects to win 1the case when people gamble for the purposes of winning2 but because he or she hopes to win. 'ritish researchers 'renner and 'renner, in their $%%& examination of the history of gambling, concluded that gambling has always provided a ritualised form of hope. Gambling rises in periods when religion, with its alternative ways of ritualising hope, is in

decline, or in periods of economic dislocation when people feel systematically excluded from any prospect of gaining the type of wealth that would transform their material lives. After exploring the other reasons for gambling we conclude, first, that there are clear, intrinsic and humanly fulfilling reasons to gamble: socialising, recreation and the opportunity to hope. Second, there are some important instrumental reasons why people say they gamble - notably, winning to make money - which are unsound. he next step is to frame principles under which individuals can gamble in an ethical, rational and reasonable way. he three broad principles for the gambler are clear and uncontroversial: do not gamble with the aim of making money3 only spend time or money on gambling that is not re*uired to meet any more serious or pre-existing commitments and responsibilities3 and do not allow gambling to become a disproportionate part of your life. ,e suggest four broad principles for the gambling industry: promote the common good3 respect the rationality of all individuals by supporting their capacities to make reasonable choices3 respect the freedom of all individuals by supporting their capacities for control and choice3 and take responsibility for the negative impact of gambling on the common good. ,ithin these four broad principles, we suggest a number of specific policies and practices that should be embraced by gambling businesses, particularly poker machine operators. hese range from developing much more sophisticated warnings, offering onsite and offsite services to gamblers in distress, developing games that have greater recreational value, developing more facilities for recreation and social interaction in venues, and initiating public debate about proposed new games or forms of gambling. Gambling can contribute to the enrichment of individual and community life. here are clear principles, which, if followed, would make that contribution reasonable. !f both conclusions hold, then the provision of gambling can be an ethical business. A gambling industry that took itself seriously could undo the harm done and discover its real potential to contribute to human fulfilment and the common good.