Toward a Weberian theory of gambling: the rationalization of legal gambling in Israel

Abstract

Among the various sociological theories of gambling, only a handful are based on the ideas of Max Weber, and particularly on his thesis of rationalization. Using a Weberian framework, this study presents a socio-historical analysis of legal gambling in Israel. The analysis reveals that gambling in Israel has undergone a ‘McDonaldization’ process. As part of this process of ‘McDonaldization’, legal gambling organizations have adopted technological means aimed at making work methods faster and more efficient, enabling gamblers to plan their gambling in a calculated, non-random fashion. Together with ‘McDonaldization’, an instrumental discourse has been introduced into the public debate about gambling. The use of language that seeks to describe that which is good and ethical has been abandoned, replaced by a new vocabulary that emphasises the method and efficiency of the gambling operation.

Keywords:

• Israel
• gambling
• lottery
• Max Weber
• ‘McDonaldization’
• rationalization

Acknowledgement

This research received funding and data from ‘Mifaal HaPais’ (Israeli Lottery). The Author would like to thank Professor Nissan Rubin and the anonymous reviewers for the helpful comments to improve the manuscript.

Notes

1. For example see Bentham (1864/2005).

2. For critical reviews see Frey (1984), McMillen (1996) and Binde (2009).

3. Kalberg's typology (1980) sees in the term formal rationality only a specific aspect of Zweckrationalität (in which considerations are legitimized by means of universal laws and regulations).

4. Kingma (2004b, p. 230) illustrates how gambling operators, police, judges and others who dealt with legal aspects of gambling in the Netherlands used scientific methods, theories and data to establish their arguments.

5. For a critique on the instrumental rationality in Nazi Germany, see Bauman (1989).

6. Israeli Knesset. Meeting protocol from 2 July 1963.

7. Israeli Knesset Finance Committee. Meeting protocol from 31 July 1967.

8. Israeli Knesset Finance Committee. Meeting protocol from 1 August 1967.

9. Israeli Knesset. Meeting protocol from 19 June 1968.