Did you hear that radio report?

Did you read the news?

I would surely be one of the thousands disappointed by SA Lotteries decision to create an online gambling service just to have us come in line with other states (hey guys, sometimes its nice to be unique… but anyway, I digress). Read the article in the news here:

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/lotto-deal-may-add-3m-a-year-to-hospitals/story-e6frea83-1226232895812

Quote from the article: “Finance Minister Michael O’Brien said online purchases were a “niche market” accounting for fewer than 5 per cent of sales but likely to grow in coming years.”

It’s true that online will represent as a niche market initially, but that will grow. It will grow because this is the ways of the world now. Online is going places – already has really. It’s only getting bigger.

So, rather than get all het up and negative about the situation, which doesn’t sit well with me, trying to fight what is inevitable (because this is the ways of the world), I said to myself “how can we creatively work through the gambling issue, that turns into the social issue, that we must deal with?“.

Gambling is not going away. We have a divided community that will pontificate for years about the drama it creates, but what action have we really witnessed? We have witnessed politicians like Nick Xenophon champion the cause about pokies… good stuff, but we still have gambling. Whether that gambling be in back yards over chickens, cars dragging around the corner, bingo in the town hall or an official “scratchy”…. in some shape or form, we gamble. People love a good day out at the races (we even search online for the coverage when we don’t have a TV handy in the office Melbourne Cup time). Gambling. We love it. Many hate it. Many deplore it. Some get addicted to it. Some obsessed. Some in love with the thing that simply occupies their day.

Because they are what? Bored? Lonely? Stressed? Afraid? Curious.

So, how can we think differently about it? How can we instill a social good philosophy into this thing we generally love.

Let’s think creatively to fix this problem, rather than blast those who are simply moving with the times. I would love our Unearthing Ideas Consultancy to bring together a group of people to examine this issue, challenge the assumptions and deconstruct a few theories… it would be an honour. Would we get the gig? That debate can be left for another day… but I do think we need to start addressing this in a non traditional way – and sort it out.