Keywords
Sustainable gambling; Social impacts; Economic impacts; Australia; Social responsibility
Disciplines
Gaming and Casino Operations Management | Gaming Law
Document Type
Original Research Article
Abstract
Social responsibility in gambling is increasingly becoming both a policy issue for governments and industries, and a management issue for gambling operators. While many legalized commercial gambling operators adopt a purely economic orientation to their business, non-profit, charity gambling operators tend to focus on the social benefits of their activities. This paper argues that neither a purely economic nor social orientation to gambling is sustainable in the long-term, but that a balance between the two is needed. A well accepted model of corporate social responsibility is adapted to illuminate the competing forces at work in achieving sustainable gambling, and to advocate an approach which balances the economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic responsibilities of gambling operators. Examples from three Australian jurisdictions are presented to provide preliminary support for the relationships in the model.