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Gambling as an Extractive Industry & the Moral Jeopardy it Generates

This article explores the expansion of commercial gambling and its impacts on society, economy, and political ecology. It discusses the normalization, liberalization, and regulation of gambling and the moral and ethical dilemmas generated by receiving gambling funds. The article also identifies the risks associated with accepting profits from gambling and suggests principles for responding to increased moral jeopardy.

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Gambling as an Extractive Industry & the Moral Jeopardy it Generates

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  1. Gambling as an Extractive Industry & the Moral Jeopardy it Generates School of Population Health University of Auckland Peter J. Adams, 2008

  2. Expansion of Commercial Gambling • Major societal change • Impacts socially & economically • Also impacts on political ecology • Links with expansion globally

  3. Auckland Wellington Christchurch

  4. Gambling Expenditure in NZ Source: Department of Internal Affairs (Excluding bingo & raffles)

  5. Gambling Expenditure in NZ Source: Departmentof Internal Affairs 1993 2002 (Excluding bingo & raffles)

  6. Gambling Expenditure in NZ Source: Departmentof Internal Affairs (Excluding bingo & raffles)

  7. NORMALISATION LIBERALISATION REGULATION Gambling Expenditure in NZ Source: Department of Internal Affairs INDIVIDUALTREATMENT PUBLIC HEALTH POLITICAL ECOLOGY (Excluding housie & raffles)

  8. Ecological Perspective… • Gambling as an extractive industry • No substantial product • Extraction within current systems • Those systems in turn are affected

  9. COMMERCE ORGANISES EXTRACTION

  10. SIZE REALLY DOES MATTER

  11. SUPERIOR EXTRACTION TECHNOLOGIES

  12. FACILITATED BY PUBLIC NAIVETY

  13. Drivers for Native Logging • Governments interested in profits from large scale extraction • Multinational ability to maximize profit potential • Entrepreneurs quick to recognize profit potential • Rapid expansion relies on absence of popular opposition

  14. With Rapid Expansion ofExtractive Industries comes… Degradation of natural ecology Degradation of socio-political ecology

  15. NORMALISATION LIBERALISATION REGULATION Gambling Expenditure in NZ Source: Department of Internal Affairs WORRY (Excluding bingo & raffles)

  16. Money Builds Relationships • Money exchange forges ongoing connections • Establishes expectations and obligations • Reinforced by multiple exchanges • Links cut across other relationships

  17. What are the long term prospects for these profit-driven relationships? Where are they leading? What are the risks? Can they be reversed?

  18. Moral & ethical dilemmas generated by receiving gambling funds • Environments promoting high industry connectedness • Conflicted relationships very likely • Multiple traps for the naïve, greedy & fearful MORAL JEOPARDY

  19. Risks in Accepting Profits • Ethical risks • Reputational risks • Governance risks • Relationship risks

  20. 1. Ethical Risks • Trying to do good from sources that do harm • Majority of gambling funds from low income families & problem gamblers • Credentialing providers (improving public profile) • Contributing to sales

  21. 2. Reputational Risks • How link is judged by others • Collegial disapproval • Consumer discomfort • Government agency ambivalence

  22. 3. Governance Risks • Creeping reliance • Perception of vulnerability • Threatens independence & sovereignty • Perceived reliance leads to silence & compliance

  23. 4. Relationship Risks • Between colleagues • In larger organisations, between sections & levels • Potential loss of voice, loss of interest, loss of staff

  24. How to respond to gambling profit-driven increases in moral jeopardy?

  25. Continuum of Moral Jeopardy Intensity of Relationship

  26. Primary Concern Moderate Risk Extremely High Risk High Risk Low Risk

  27. Moral Jeopardy & Loss of Voice • Community charities receiving significant funds from pokie trusts • Researchers with gambling funding avoiding “rocking the boat” • Government agency managing funds from gambling • Newspapers relying heavily on funding from gambling advertising • Politicians & political parties accepting or influencing distribution

  28. Low Moral Jeopardy Environments • Principle 1:Ethical consciousness • Moral jeopardy awareness raising activities • E.g. workshops with governance boards • Principle 2:Informed participation • Requirements for disclosure of funding sources • E.g. web-based observatory tracking money • Principle 3:Independence of function • Reduction in reliance on gambling funding • E.g. seek reductions in gambling profits • Principle 4:Government duty of care • Benchmark standards regarding conflicts of interest • E.g. adherence to international charter

  29. Concluding Remarks • Long term environment of high moral jeopardy • Compromises community & government sector • Subtle degradation of democratic systems • Future obligations to devise safeguards

  30. More material… Adams, P. J. (2007). Assessing whether to receive funding support from tobacco, alcohol, gambling and other dangerous consumption industries. Addiction, 102(7), 1027–1033. Adams, P. J. Gambling, Freedom and Democracy. New York: Routledge (Jan 2008) Adams, P. J. & Rossen, F. (2006). Reducing the moral jeopardy associated with receiving funds from the proceeds of gambling. Journal of Gambling Issues, Issue 17, August 2006

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