Changing the Game: How Marketing Fuels Gambling Harm

Gambling is no longer just a weekend activity, it’s embedded in our daily lives. In this episode, Think: Business Futures talks to Professor Ross Gordon, Director of the Change for Good Research Centre and professor of Behaviour and Social Change At UTS Business School, about the growing normalisation of gambling and the strategic marketing tactics driving it. From sports betting apps to ‘bet with mates’ features, Ross explains how gambling is being embedded into Australian culture, especially among young men. He shares insights from his research on the cumulative harm caused by low and moderate risk gamblers, the lobbying power of the gambling industry, and the urgent need for policy reform. We also explore the role of banks, the parallels with tobacco and alcohol marketing, and what it will take to shift the narrative from public health campaigns to behaviour change programs. Hosted and produced by Ali Aitken