Competing forces in sustainable gambling: towards a balanced approach

Social responsibility in gambling is increasingly becoming both a policy issue for governments and industries, and a management issue for gambling operators. While many legalised commercial gambling operators adopt a purely economic orientation to their business, non-profit, charity gambling operators tends to focus on the social benefits of their activities. However, this paper argues that neither a purely economic nor social orientation to gambling operations 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.