Gambling Ethics: Keep It Healthy

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Because the gambling industry is connected to money, it will always be discussed in the framework of morality. Especially now that online betting is on the rise, ethical issues rise to the forefront. While many people ask themselves: “Is gambling a sin?”, they tend to confuse addictive behavior or particular unfairness with casino entertainment in general. Gambling per se is a form of having fun: it has recreational purposes and may provide the benefit of social interaction. It also fulfills a human need for hoping and dreaming. It’s safe to say that it’s perfectly fine, as long as a person has a healthy attitude and enjoys the process.

Pressure from Religious Communities

Bible devotees often push a negative message to media sources, trying to discredit casinos under the guise of advocating Christian principles. There’s a strong religious community in the US (50% of the country’s population is Protestant, and 22% are Catholics); however, various research projects show that no particular group of Americans agree as a majority that betting activities are morally wrong.

Let’s not rely on loose moralism but distinguish the unreasonable from the acceptable. Christians’ arguments that gambling doesn’t harmonize with the image of Jesus, whose example we should follow, sound extreme. Playing games in casinos may be a form of relaxation or a way of dealing with everyday stress: there’s nothing wrong with that. What is important is for every participant to be aware of what’s happening. Every reputable platform provides detailed instructions to rules and follows Responsible Gaming policy.

Gambling Priests

Interestingly enough, there are many notorious cases of men of the cloth not only falling victim to gambling addiction but also using parish money for casino entertainment. It’s another indicator of how many contradictions religious communities suffer from.

Economic Benefits

Ethics touches upon the subject of how the industry influences the community. While many believe that gambling provokes greed and takes advantage of the weak and the poor, you could say the same about any money-related activity, and it will be true only on one level. The fact is that gambling facilities can bring a lot of profit to local infrastructure. Casinos create employment opportunities, and most of their jobs are available to non-college graduates. That’s not to mention taxation, which may increase states’ revenues greatly. In 2017, for example, gaming taxes exceeded a record of $9 billion in the US.

We can talk all we want about the morality of capitalism, but it’s only logical that stable economic growth benefits all parts of society. There are a lot of contradictions about how the money received from casinos is used, but it’s not a good reason to claim that the industry is immoral and socially harmful.

How Casinos Should Address Ethical Issues

Since losses, like winnings, are an inevitable part of gambling, casinos should speak openly about what they offer. Every customer coming to a facility or entering a website should realize what risks they have.

A decent casino should:

• respect all its users;
• give them freedom of control and choice;
• take responsibility for negative impact.

Gambling has always given people hope, relaxation, and thrill. If you stick to reputable platforms and set limits for yourself, you can be sure to have a healthy experience.