Morality issues in casino gambling


T
he moral aspect of casino gambling has a huge impact on society in general, and this is irrespective of where people live in the world. Due to technological advancement, online casinos have spread like wildfire across the globe. People have easy access to online gambling all the time and everywhere, provided they have access to the best casino welcome bonuses and offers.

Because society is so materialised and entertainment-based, people are constantly bombarded with media advertisements and forced to make decisions. Sometimes, quick decisions can be doubtful whether they are good or otherwise. Choosing the option not to make a decision could be difficult as the media has become so powerful that it can manipulate and boggle people’s minds. Gambling falls into this category and deciding whether to gamble or not could have severe effects on the end-user. Proper evaluation and deep pondering should be done before deciding to gamble, as this may lead to a long negative impact on the gambler, his family, and friends.

How the iGaming industry shaped economies globally

The casino gambling industry provides sustenance to the economy of countries. It provides well-paid jobs for those directly involved in the running of casinos, creates employment opportunities in the construction and real estate sectors and provides more work to architects and other legal professionals.

The construction of land-based casinos requires large areas of land to build on them. It is customary that the casino is at the heart of a complex comprising other business outlets like hotels, beauty salons, hairdressers, bars, and other entertainment entities. In essence, the land is transformed into a business hub. The wide spread of casinos across countries helps keep the economy in a stable situation and with a reasonable prospect of economic growth.

Governments also benefit from casino gambling. In addition to creating job opportunities, governmental authorities collect huge amounts of tax money from buying and selling property and assets. It allows for the building of newer and more advanced facilities such as accommodation premises, resorts, and similar businesses.

The good aspect of gambling

A few positive aspects of casino gambling include:

It serves as a stress reliever that can help people focus more and perform better at work. This can assist people in keeping their jobs and having a stable and good quality of life.
The extended family has an opportunity to meet and bond together and enjoy the activity of gambling together.
It helps people to mingle and create new relationships and make new friends.
The excitement of the possibility of winning big money. The primary objective because people gambling is to win more money. Money is the mostsought commodity in the world that everyone likes and winning it without working feels very good.

When morality issues come into play

Moral and ethical problems of casino gambling are described, in easy terms, as the waging or betting of money or sometimes property on the outcome of a game aimed at winning more money or property. Casino gambling has developed into a huge industry, generating billions of dollars annually. Notwithstanding its positive aspects, the gambling industry has attracted a lot of negative criticism and concern. The morality of the industry and whether the possible financial benefits outweigh the damage it can cause to society have been raised and debated.

Sometimes the consideration of gambling as an immoral act is attributed to religious beliefs and cultures. The stigma of obtaining money for doing nothing is considered immoral in some societies.

When gambling is not done the right way

Psychologically, casino gambling and any other form of gambling is a potentially addictive activity, and it can affect the brain the same way as drugs and alcohol do. Excessive gambling can place the gambler in a spiral situation of losses and accumulating huge debt. This is compounded when one considers that the mathematical odds do not favour the gambler. One of the evident symptoms of gambling addiction is when the gambler tries to recover their losses. This is also known as chasing losses. In most instances, chasing losses works against the gambler.

Pathological gamblers are defined as a gambler who continues to play despite knowing that it is harmful to themselves; it will seriously affect their family and close friends. It will also create financial and social problems for relatives. This pattern can lead the gambler to cross paths with law enforcement agencies, especially the police, courts, and prison time. This kind of gambler will stop at nothing to procure funds to satisfy the gambling urge, whether the money comes from funds earmarked to pay household bills or from illegal activity. For the gambler, the source of the money makes no difference.

These instances lead one to believe that gambling can be harmful not only to the gamblers themselves but also spread quickly to family members. It can inflict mental challenges and financial woes on the gambler and the extended family.

Gambling addiction can also be associated with excessive intake of alcohol and chain-smoking. Two major contributors to liver and lung cancers and probably to other severe health conditions.

How gambling is sometimes portrayed in movies

Incidentally, it is not only gamblers and fun-seekers that are attracted to gaming establishments like casinos. The criminal world is also very interested in the gaming industry. In 1995, the movie “Casino” was produced and launched onto the cinema network worldwide. It is based on actual, real-life events and characters. The narrative is about the mob and other criminals taking advantage of a window of opportunity to make money on gaming outlets in Las Vegas. Using installed stooges to operate particular casinos, they skimmed their accounting books before sending the documentation to the tax-man. The story also documents other crimes associated with the gambling industry like murder, extortion, robbery, and even torture. These atrocities happened when the mob ran some casinos in Sin City.

The movie portrays how immoral casino gambling can be and the severe consequences gamblers have to face if they cannot own up to their debts. Obviously, the adverse effects on gamblers are automatically extendedto the family, which can create damaging social challenges.

How to build a healthy gambling structure for yourself

To avoid excessive gambling and addiction, gamblers should impose upon themselves a set of rules and conditions:

Do not gamble to make money.
Only spend limited time on gambling and only gamble that part of the money which is not required for more critical commitments like rent and food.
Most importantly, gamble responsibly.

The gambling industry should be more responsible with its media campaigns and strive to promote the common good of both the industry and the gamblers. It needs to take responsibility and immediate action to redress any harmful impact gambling inflicts on the gamblers. The industry must discover its real potential aimed at contributing to the gamblers’ fulfilment and the best interest of all stakeholders.