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Why the industry needs to be ‘in’ Why should the betting and gambling industry be more inclusive?
By Christina Thakor-Rankin
T
he simple answer is ‘because it’s 2021’ - the start of the second decade of the 21st century and an era in which power, leadership and success is no longer definedby, or the preserve of, (mainly) white men from the right background or with the right connections. Unfortunately, life is never that simple. As humans, we are the product of our past and decades (centuries even) of environmental, social, cultural and religious influenceswhich have contributed to shaping today’s definition of ‘normal’ or ‘acceptable’. To reverse engineer and undo generations of ingrained biases and prejudices is going to take more than a snappy statement or a couple of call outs on
INFINITY GAMING
social media. And whilst most people reading this will believe in the principles of equality of opportunity for all, forcing diversity on a sector whose core activity requires cultural, religious or moral
approbation before it is considered socially acceptable is wrought with challenges, not least that those very barriers provide both a legitimate reason, and a convenient excuse for inertia and lack of change.
