ABSTRACT
This chapter will examine the evidence suggesting that the design, mode of operation and/or ways of promoting some modern forms of gambling, such as fast, high stake gambling machines and online sports betting, are particularly dangerous, and governments may be failing in their duty to protect citizens from harm. The evidence comes from a variety of directions, including an examination of the features of gambling products and how they are marketed, gambling simulations and the direct experience of people who gamble. The chapter will broaden out the argument to consider how increased gambling may affect communities and society as a whole. This includes some specific issues such as the concentration of gambling venues in poorer areas and the loss of local control over the amenities and nature of a community, as well as broader issues to do with the kind of world we want to live in. It will be argued that we need to be asking, not just whether gambling is harmful or harmless in rather narrow utilitarian terms but whether more gambling increases the quality of life for us all.
