According to Parke, many visit South African casinos in order to watch stage shows and socialize in a pleasant atmosphere without actually gambling at all. A recent attempt to legalize entertainment complexes and large casinos in the UK failed after the government decided to only allow one in the country.
Most hotel and gaming firm profits are made through gambling and some operators hoped to expand in the UK but have been forced to go elsewhere.
Parke played an essential role in the development of the UK’s first problem gambling education program for counselors. He has also trained a number of gambling industry stakeholders in the psychology of gambling and social responsibility.
In South Africa, the National Responsible Gambling Program is funded by voluntary contributions from casinos and other gambling operators. According to the NRGP’s research, the number of problem gamblers in South Africa has remained between 4.6% and 4.8% of the population for the last three years.
Their research suggests that gambling at casinos is no more risky than any other form of gambling.
The executive director of the NRGP, Peter Collins has stated that he is concerned about the effect of South Africa’s lottery. He is worried that the easy availability of tickets and scratch cards will lead to people buying large number of tickets as they believe that it will guarantee them a win. In reality, however, players have much better chances of winning online, what with higher odds and more competitive prices and prizes.