ABSTRACT
Today digital gambling practices are an omnipresent feature of the virtual marketplace. Online casinos, poker sites and sports betting are commonplace and play host to huge online communities of gambling practitioners. The purpose of this chapter is to position how netnography can be utilised to explore and study such diverse digital gambling communities. In doing so it first discusses the evolution of digital gambling. This historical narrative serves to contextualise the prevalence and legitimation of these activities in contemporary consumer culture. Second, the merits of netnographic enquiry towards the study of digital gambling contexts are expounded, with its non-participative and participative research capabilities elucidated upon. Third, commentary on new gambling contexts that are emerging is presented. These highlight fertile ground for netnographers to consider in aiming to evocatively capture, understand and document the future practices of digital gamblers. Finally, guidance is provided on how to advance netnography in light of these emerging contexts. Advice is offered on how to develop method and practice so as to imbue more critical, and socio-cultural orientated, gambling discourse across the social sciences.
