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Culture is the shared system of thought, meaning and morality of a people or ethnic group. It is manifested in norms, customs, collective knowledge, symbols, myth and ritual. Attitudes and traditions may differ among groups within a culture, but the contrasts are shaped by the overall cultural system. A subculture is a variation within a culture, comparable to a dialect of a language.
Through its fundamental influence on meanings and values, culture has a multitude of impacts on the prevalence of gambling, the popularity of various forms of gambling, thoughts about and attitudes towards gambling, the practices of gambling, and the extent of harmful gambling (Forrest & Wardle, 2011; GAMECS Project, 1999; Lin, Caswell, Huckle, You, & Asiasiga, 2011; Loo, Raylu, & Oei, 2008; Parish, 2005; Raylu & Oei, 2004; Scull & Woolcock, 2005; Tepperman & Korn, 2002; Wynne & McCready, 2004).
The functions and meanings of gambling differ significantly among cultural groups. Cultural views of gambling can vary within and across cultures with gambling being regarded as individual entertainment, a social activity, escapism from daily life, a hobby requiring skill, a way to test one's luck, a quick way to make money, or something shameful. While some cultural meanings and values are likely to increase the risk of individuals engaging in harmful gambling, others are likely to decrease the risk. In this section we outline Cultural Factors that contribute to harmful gambling, including: ethnicity and traditions, indigenous groups, socio-cultural attitudes, religion and other belief systems, and gender.
Strong evidence from many prevalence studies suggests that gambling behaviour and the rate of harmful gambling varies across ethnic groups in a particular jurisdiction (Williams, Volberg, et al., 2012). More research is required to better understand the cause of this variation, but some studies within particular ethnic groups suggest that religion, attitudes, beliefs, acculturation processes, and other cultural factors contribute to the differences (e.g., Forrest & Wardle, 2011; Kim, 2012). Prevalence studies also typically show that gambling and harmful gambling varies with gender, class and age. This suggests that cultural factors are involved and there are some studies that explore these (e.g., Clarke & Clarkson, 2009; Corney & Davis, 2010).
Nevertheless, studies of the cultural meanings and symbolism of gambling are relatively few and mostly consist of qualitative investigations using ethnographic, historical, or interpretative approaches (for a review of the literature, see Binde, 2009a p. 44-57 which includes additional research references such as: Casey, 2003; Fisher, 1993; Malaby, 2003; McMillen, 1996; Neal, 1998).