Whether you’re actively partaking or anxiously avoiding, there’s no hiding from the predictable ritual of New Year’s resolutions.
As the New Year rolls around, we often find ourselves looking for ways to become new and improved versions of our current selves. Perhaps we don’t need to search and there is a long list of failed resolutions waiting for us to have another shot at – third time's a charm?
For the optimists, New Year’s resolutions offer a chance to reflect on the year behind us and set strategic goals for self-improvement, hoping to end the year as happier, more enlightened beings.
There’s no way to avoid it, New Year’s resolutions are deeply entrenched in society. Whether we see them as an opportunity to realign our personal and professional goals or a pointless ritual used to set ourselves up for failure, it does offer us a chance to consider what we want the year ahead to look like.
On that note, below, Gambling Insider takes a look at promises the gambling industry could potentially keep... and ones to leave behind in 2023.
Our resolutions for 2024
Try listening more, too, not just to audiobooks or podcasts (though both are good) but to your colleagues or employees. MGM China President and COO Hubert Wang told us last year that listening is one of the most important skills when running his company
Personal growth
As cliché as it sounds – and if you’re on the anti-new year’s resolution team, it probably will - making room for personal and professional growth in our lives is something we could probably all strive to do more of. This doesn’t necessarily mean committing to five hours of fitness classes a week or learning a new language in three months. Small steps such as changing your mindset to honour a more optimistic approach to everyday life can make a huge difference. If you’ve been a little pessimistic over the past year, try taking a ‘glass half full’ approach and see how the other half lives.
Engage with our communities
While we must adapt to the digital age, it’s important to remember that humans are the driving force behind every business. Whether it’s connecting with the community outside of our everyday lives or reconnecting with the people we surround ourselves with day-to-day, the new year serves as a reminder to look at the bigger picture. It’s easy to get caught up in our own bubble but remembering not to get lost in the tunnel vision, even if it feels productive at the time, is essential and serves as a useful reminder to all.
On an industry level, gambling organisations have become increasingly connected with the communities around them, CSR and responsible gaming. In 2024, we hope to see more of the same – and that these are all motivated by genuine reasons, rather than just tick-box compliance.
Try listening more, too, not just to audiobooks or podcasts (though both are good) but to your colleagues or employees. MGM China President and COO Hubert Wang told us last year that listening is one of the most important skills when running his company
What we are leaving behind in 2023
Overpromising
One New Year’s tendency the industry must avoid is overpromising. Making grand, sweeping statements at the beginning of the year can be demotivating and leaves the smaller victories uncelebrated. Year after year, many of us commit to resolutions that are often unrealistic in scale or timeframe, whether they may be business-related or more personal goals. We are by no means encouraging you to abandon ambition, but being reasonable with what we can achieve is a skill, and often leads to more long-term successes. Just imagine a boardroom where over-ambitious targets have hampered financial progress from day one; it's not a place any executive wants to find themselves in.
Doom scrolling
Most of us already spend too much time staring at the screen, whether at work, at home or on the go. Between the TV, computers, gaming, connecting with friends via text, or even reading the news, most of these events take place on the big – or small – screen. While screen time can be productive, and is often essential when we are trying to achieve goals at work, we encourage you to think of times when your screen usage has been less than productive. Swap out the endless scrolling on social media that consumes your morning commute or bedtime routine and try something else – a book, perhaps? If fiction isn’t your thing, grab a copy of a book about someone who inspires you, or even one to help you achieve your business goals. Try listening more, too, not just to audiobooks or podcasts (though both are good) but to your colleagues or employees. MGM China President and COO Hubert Wang told us last year that listening is one of the most important skills when running his company.
Clean living benefits everyone, whether that’s people or businesses. Heading into 2024, the question arises as to whether the gambling industry can leave behind compliance issues and accusations of malpractice
Bad Habits
There’s never a bad time to live a cleaner lifestyle, but the New Year offers us all the perfect chance to start writing on a fresh page. Whether it’s regulating your coffee intake, welcoming more greens into your life or leaving behind nicotine habits that do nothing but slow down your day – and your health – there’s no harm in trying to live a more balanced lifestyle.
Clean living benefits everyone, whether that’s people or businesses. Heading into 2024, the question arises as to whether the gambling industry can leave behind compliance issues and accusations of malpractice. 2023 saw a trail of legal fines stain the industry, with Entain ordered to pay £585m ($737.4m) after a bribery investigation and Australian operator Crown Resorts hit with a AU$450m (US$294m) fee amid accusations of allowing illegal gambling. Gambling Insider hopes the gambling industry can wipe the slate clean and enter 2024 with the best of intentions.
Entering the New year, most people could do with welcoming some new values or intentions into their life. At Gambling Insider, we think industries can benefit from this age-old ritual too. Whether you’re discarding old habits that no longer serve you or drawing up ideas for the year ahead, we invite you to take a moment to reflect and plan before rushing into 2024.