An ethical case against 'responsible' gambling advertising: A UK context-based, semiotic perspective

Event details

Gambling advertising has hardly been subjected to moral scrutiny and ethical evaluation is long overdue. Here I put 'responsible gambling' messages of UK marketing campaigns purporting efforts by the gambling industry to encourage safer gambling, to ethical scrutiny. A UK context-based 'semio-tic' analysis serves as a prelude to the assessment of the moral blameworthiness of gambling advertising. Drawing mainly from Kantian deontological ethics and Ross' prima facie moral duties, a theoretical framework built upon the key issues of honesty, the avoidance of deception, non-maleficence, and legitimacy, is proposed.

The semio-ethical evaluation leads to an unambiguous verdict of moral wrongness. In addition to a novel approach combining semiotics and ethics, and radical legislative implications, the study contributes to developing a better appreciation of how higher-order semiotic reading of textual signs used in gambling advertising can at least help mitigate the social cognitive conditioning of public perception. 

Biography

Professor Glauco De Vita is a professor of international Business Economics at Coventry University, where he also leads the research cluster on "Inclusive, Sustainable, and Ethical Business and Society" within the Centre for Resilient Business and Society. His academic career has included research and leadership positions at multiple universities and a role as a senior analyst in the private sector. Recent projects include exploring climate risks, ethical issues in international business, and the impact of debt on wealth distribution. 

Booking information

To book your place, email the CRBS team: ssb.support@coventry.ac.uk

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