The past couple of years have been difficult on almost everyone. The global pandemic and all the uncertainty it brought with created many problems in almost all aspects of private and professional lives. But, one industry in particular thrived.
We’re talking about the online gambling sector, of course, which saw a massive increase in numbers, as people spent more time inside their homes and looking for something to entertain themselves.
The number of people worldwide joining top mobile casino sites in 2020 and 2021 has been bigger than ever. And, with the business thriving, many online gambling companies are deciding to give something back through charitable contributions.
Online Gambling & Charity: A Confusing Concept
When large companies decide to give away a part of their proceeds to worthwhile charities, it’s always a good thing. These charitable organizations often struggle to find donors, and every penny counts.
Initiatives like Great.com are an excellent example of this. Founded by an online gambling enthusiast Erik Bergman, the company promises to give away 100% of its proceeds to charity. Bergman is a successful entrepreneur who made his money in the iGaming space and is now looking for ways to give back to the world.
And, while the notion is definitely a heartwarming one, it’s impossible to look at it without some bias.
The gambling market is one of the largest and most lucrative ones in the world. While it is usually represented as a leisure activity, gambling is much more complex. It often caters to those most vulnerable who don’t really have control over their actions. As such, it has certainly played its role in contributing to world’s problems.
So, when an online casino or a large company operating numerous gambling brands gives money to charity, it’s hard not to have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, it’s nice; on the other, you can’t avoid wondering where the money came from in the first place.
A Positive Trend Overall
While we could extend this philosophical discussion onto many more pages (and still wouldn’t reach a definitive answer), this recent trend in the iGaming industry is definitely a positive one and something we’d like to see more of in the future.
Whatever the motivation may be for these companies to give money to charities, the bottom line is that these charities will receive much needed funding. This will allow them to continue working on worthwhile projects and help those in distress.
And, in today’s world, the number of such people is anything but small.
Whether online casinos should change their business models and tackle the whole idea of gambling differently is a topic for another day. Things aren’t likely to change in that department any time soon.
So, in the meantime, it’s nice to see at least some of the gambling proceeds redirected towards worthwhile initiatives geared at making the world a better and more equitable place. It may not be a game changer, but it’s at least a step in the right direction.