BETTER CHANGE STATESIDE
But how real is the problem? Are there really employees suffering from gambling harm within your organisation? The answer to that question isn’t a simple one as quite frankly, there’s very little research into the area and the studies which do exist are limited in their sample sizes. Better Change work closely with the Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming at the University of Gibraltar and are committed to commissioning further research into the prevalence and specifics of gambling harm amongst gambling employees funded via RET contributions. We know that in the UK, roughly 0.3% of players are suffering from gambling harm and according to one study by the Journal of Occupational Health and Safety – Australia and New Zealand, gaming employees are 11 times more likely to suffer than the general population. That means that 3.3% of your employees are likely to be suffering from gambling harm. That’s before we even start discussing the 7% who are likely to be considered as affected others. The key question is how do you spot gambling harm in your
employees? Gambling has often been referred to as a ‘hidden addiction’ as its symptoms are less obvious than something like a reliance on alcohol or drugs. With the ever-increasing use of technology, it’s become easier than ever to conceal a gambling habit in comparison with 20 years ago when a trip to a physical venue like the bookmakers or casino was required and could result in poor attendance records. Today, managers have to look for subtler signs such as
withdrawn or secretive employees, reduced productivity, distracted behaviours and irregular timekeeping. Red flags might also include asking for advances on wages, borrowing money from colleagues, taking longer breaks or shutting down computer screens when someone gets close to their work station. Not only do addictions have a detrimental impact on employees’ wellbeing but they can cost companies a lot of money in terms of productivity but also, in extreme cases, criminal activity. For this reason, employers have no choice but to take gambling harm seriously. The real challenge stems from being able to monitor gambling
activity during working hours. With constant access to high- speed internet on both work and personal devices, it can become impossible to tell the difference between harmless fun and the misuse of company time and resources. It’s highly likely that some staff will use their work devices to gamble which could open the network up to security risks and of course, for many of the more senior team members with access to significant company funds, there is the temptation to use them to fund their habits ultimately leading to a fraud or embezzlement issue. Interestingly, it’s estimated that 85% of workplaces in the UK
have a drugs and alcohol policy but less than 5% have a gambling policy. Considering the potentially disastrous consequences for both employees and employers, can you really afford to not be prepared? Better Change has been focusing on helping gaming companies to identify and address gambling harm amongst employees ever since we launched. By developing internal gambling policies which don’t necessarily prohibit gambling (after all, most of us work in the industry because we have a passion for the events) but offer practical limits and specialist identification tools which have been developed in collaboration with applied psychologists, safer gambling experts, industry veterans and those with lived experience; we have been successful in promoting safer gambling in the workplace and
continue to help sustain our industry longterm. Alongside this, we offer bespoke responsible gambling training for team members at every level of the organisation equipping them with the knowledge of how to spot gambling harm in not only customers but themselves and teammates. We understand that confronting someone about their gambling habits is a delicate conversation to have which is why we focus our training around developing the skills needed to have those sensitive conversations. We make sure we encourage HR teams, heads of departments and line managers to listen without passing judgement, to avoid placing any blame and to let them know that the intervention is coming from a place of support. One of the most insightful tools we use at Better Change is our
bespoke Responsible Gambling training module designed to identify someone’s attitude to risk. Not only does it highlight a propensity towards gambling harm but it offers a useful insight into how risk adverse employees are generally in their day to day work. By reinventing the self-test and turning it into a game, a much more honest result is shown as it reflects actions and decisions during gambling rather than reflections on someone’s own behaviour. Ultimately, if your employees engage in excessive gambling,
they are likely to affect workplace productivity, morale and your company’s reputation, not to mention the wellbeing of the wider team. Isn’t it time the industry put as much focus on safeguarding our vulnerable teams as we do on looking after our vulnerable customers?
Reasons why working in gaming can increase the likelihood of gambling harm 1. Staff are encouraged to have deep interactions with customers a. Staff hear about wins more frequently than losses b. Staff have access to ‘hot tips.’ c. Staff want a piece of the action d. Staff are encouraged to understand their products
2. Staff have a frequent exposure to gambling
a. Access to test accounts increases the familiarity with gambling products b. New or younger staff are especially vulnerable c. Some may feel they have insider knowledge and have an advantage d. Senior members of staff especially have access to large amounts of the business’ cash.
3. The Influence of colleagues a. Gambling is often a daily topic of conversation creating a need to participate in order to fit in
b. Gambling problems are not always taken seriously by colleagues c. The industry naturally attracts outgoing, adventurous and ambitious people
4. The stress of the industry a. Staff need a way to unwind after work b. Shift work can often mean the only venues open at the end of a shift are casinos
c. Gambling is an attractive pastime between shifts d. Low wages for junior members of the team e. Self exclusion is difficult due to the threat of job loss
5. Staff have frequent exposure to marketing messaging a. Promotions can often act as a trigger b. Marketing can reinforce gambling as a legitimate way to earn money c. There is a constant awareness of jackpot levels and which ones are ‘hot to pop’
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