Wagers, bets and other games of chance have been with us since the dawn of human intelligence. The Greek gods are said to have divided the universe by the roll of a die and in Australia, gambling has been an inherent part of our society since the founding of the first colony. As our community and its culture evolve, gambling has become more entrenched in the national psyche as numerous legal businesses have built up around the pastime. Like other businesses, these organisations seek to broaden their customer base, expand profit margins and remain competitive in the current market.  As they trial new marketing avenues, such as discounted or free accommodation, food and alcohol, we are presented with a dilemma; is it ethical to offer inducements to encourage people to gamble?

‘No such thing as a free lunch’ and ‘freedom of choice’ are maxims that have particular relevance in this situation. As educated consumers, most Australians are aware that you don’t get something for nothing.  However, if there is a choice between 2 identical products, the one that offers free ‘add-ons’ must be a better bet. To assess whether this test is appropriate, ask yourself this; If businesses in every industry offered free extras with their products, would they be disrespecting you, their customer, and would you have a problem accepting these extras above another product at the same price? For me the answer is no, as just last week I purchased one particular toothbrush, for the sole reason that it came with free toothpaste.

Now, what is the outcome of such an action? Logically, those businesses offering inducements are more likely to influence their potential customers to make legal buying decisions toward their product. Is the organisation acting solely in its own interest? Well that’s a complex issue, but here are some facts. A casino, for example, employs hundreds of people across many professions, in a growing industry that contributes significantly to taxes. These government revenues are then spent across a myriad of community programs such as, education, transport and health (including addiction management initiatives) that benefit our society.

As a member of the global community I had no problem in accepting a couple of free beers when recently on holiday at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. Does that make me a bad person for accepting them, or the Casino owner unethical for giving them away? In this case, my partner and I toasted the owners, remarked on what good character they had, and preceded to have a great time.

Considering the role of gambling in our history and that the vast majority of adult Australians partake of the activity in some form or another, it can hardly be said that an organisation that gives us free stuff to do what we are doing anyway can be acting unethically. Whether gambling is ethical is a separate debate, but for firms operating in a legal industry and contributing massive amounts of funding for public services to offer complimentary products to their customers seems a simple proposition for me; it’s just good business.