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A person’s cultural beliefs and his or her society’s beliefs influence socio-cultural attitudes. In terms of gambling, attitudes can shift over time. For example, as consumerism becomes more prevalent, society’s view of gambling becomes more positive. When a society views gambling positively, it becomes normalized and, therefore, easier for people to regularly gamble. Another reason why gambling attitudes shift over time could be due to a cyclical process of excessive gambling followed by social disapproval.
Other sociocultural factors that influence gambling include social class, political orientation, and demographics. Social class broadly refers to a persons’ social and economic status. It is also influenced by family background, level of education, and career choice. Research suggests that certain social classes favour specific gambling activities. For example, Western societies view bingo as an activity for women with a low income, whereas in Europe, they view roulette as an activity for the upper class. Political orientation refers to a persons’ moral values about gambling. These values tend to differ based on political orientation. For example, people with conservative political views usually disapprove of gambling when compared to those with a liberal view, which tends to be more accepting. Age can also make a difference. Age cohorts are groups of people who were born during the same time period. Each age cohort tends to share similar values. For example, older adults may approve less of gambling than Millennials because they grew up during a time when gambling was illegal.
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Download the Cultural Factor section from the Conceptual Framework of Harmful Gambling (PDF)
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