Anthropologists claim that humans have been gamblers for tens of thousands of years, from a time when a basic ability to assess risk and possible consequences would have offered a vital evolutionary advantage. Sociologists worry about how much money is spent on gambling and the destructive consequences this addiction has on people’s lives.

A survey commissioned by the Malta Gaming Authority to understand the social and economic realities of gambling among Maltese residents produced some headline-grabbing statistics. The Maltese spent €128 million in legal gambling activities in 2017. This amount is an average of €11.30 per week for every adult.

The Responsible Gaming Foundation, which deals with social problems relating to gaming, claims that about 4,000 pundits have a severe gambling problem. This incidence is in line with international statistics indicating that from one to two per cent of Western populations have a gambling addiction problem.

While the MGA surgery throws some light on the effects of gambling in the community, it does not reveal why so many people become compulsive gamblers. This weakness is not just a consequence of the survey’s failure to gauge the extent of illegal gambling. It has more to do with the lack of understanding or modern psychological theories on why people gamble.

US social research professor and anthropologist Natasha Schull believes that compulsive gambling is not about winning money as much as about a desire to transport oneself in a “zone” and shutting out the world and its problems for long stretches of time. The idea of winning money falls away when you get to the point of addiction.

Of course, gambling companies exploit this human behaviour aberration. International studies confirm that gambling companies generate 30 to 60 per cent of their revenue from compulsive gamblers. The gaming industry uses sophisticated technology to develop games that are extraordinarily compelling for players.

Gaming industry employees, such as game designers, are smart people who make technology work for their employers by boosting profits. They are not paid to think about the larger consequences. They insulate themselves ethically from the outcome of their software programmes as best they can. E-gaming companies, including some of those based in Malta, have reported a significant increase in profits last year. The owners of the bigger companies paid themselves hundreds of millions of euros in dividends with minimum tax deductions, a clear anecdotal sign that gaming addiction is on the increase.

One of the less desirable effects of the ubiquitous use of technology in everyday life is the addiction experience. The experience of being in the “zone” is something most of us know about whether in the form of participating in eBay auctions, compulsively using our smartphones or spending time on social media.

However, gambling money, especially in the case of your people, is a risk that damages the fabric of society.

Preparing children to recognise the pitfalls, pleasures and temptations of adult life is the best way to manage addiction risks. Teenagers today learn more about alcohol, smoking, sex, relationships, bullying and citizenship. Educators need to do more to inform young people about the realities of addiction to technology, including gambling.

Young people simply need to understand how the gambling industry makes its money.

This is a Times of Malta print editorial

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