Understanding and addressing gambling-related harm in the workplace

Provide managers with training on what problem gambling looks like and how to spot red flags. In some cases, hearing a story about problem gambling and recovery from a peer might be the best way to open up the conversation. It's essential to be very clear on the gambling behaviors that will result in immediate termination. Of course, there are specific times of the year when your employees will gamble more than others.

They are 100% focussed on everyday health with theirleading brands being built on science, innovation and human understanding. In the UK, more than 85% of businesses have drink and drugs work policies, but less than 5% have similar policies for gambling. For example, slot machines traditionally gullybet used to have a single line for placing bets, but now the machines allow people to make bets on more than 20 different lines all at once. This kind of gambling means that people are more likely to win at least one bet, which entices them to continue gambling, even if they are losing money. Even though you’re losing $5 overall, the machine makes celebratory sounds that make you feel like you’re a winner.

With counseling and support, he successfully overcame his addiction and resumed his work, contributing positively to the company. In cases of severe and repeated violations of anti-gambling policies, employers may consider termination or other disciplinary actions. However, these actions must be consistent with company policies and legal regulations to avoid potential legal challenges.

Understanding and addressing gambling-related harm in the workplace

Lisa Walker is a peer support worker for Betknowmore UK and runs the New Beginnings programme for women. Lisa is herself in long term recovery, and brings a wealth of lived experience, empathy and authenticity to the work she now does with the charity - supporting those affected by gambling related harm. Progressive disciplinary policies work better than one-strike policies. A supportive intervention may be the correct response before termination. However, employees who gamble while on duty or on government property are breaking the rules. Employees may even try to manipulate their vacation or paid time off requests to compensate for gambling time.

We also provide upskilling opportunities in insider fraud prevention through Cifas Fraud and Cyber Academy courses and the Digital Learning programme. While it’s important to address gambling issues in the workplace, employers must also respect employee privacy rights. Any investigations or actions taken should be conducted in compliance with federal and state laws, ensuring employee rights are not violated. To address gambling issues effectively, companies should establish confidential reporting mechanisms.

This study aims to fill a critical gap in the field of problem gambling by implementing and evaluating a large-scale prevention programme in organisations. Offering financial counseling services can help employees regain control of their finances and address the root causes of their gambling addiction. Even when employers recognise harmful gambling, there is evidence of people being unwilling to admit to their gambling problems, leading to further negative consequences. There needs to be a business-wide culture of being supportive of good mental health. The path forward requires a comprehensive and unified approach to prevention, treatment and recovery, including diverse stakeholders.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), gambling addiction may be considered a disability in some cases. Employers should be prepared to provide reasonable accommodations to employees seeking treatment for gambling problems, such as time off for counseling or therapy. The impact of gambling disorder on relationships with co-workers and management can be significant. The individual may become isolated or secretive about their gambling habits, leading to strained relationships with colleagues.

Randomisation will be conducted using the true random number service (random.org). Since two organisations are noticeably larger than the others, these will be randomised separate from the others to ensure that they are divided evenly. A researcher with no relation to the study will conduct the randomisation before the baseline measures are collected, ensuring minimal bias.

The primary outcome measure will be the managers’ self-rated inclination to engage in a conversation (hypothesis 1) with employees who they worry or suspect may have a problem with gambling or other harmful use. This is represented as a question with a 1-to-10 scale in a self-report questionnaire developed specifically for this project (see online supplementary file 2 for an English translation of the questionnaire). The first component, policy implementation, consists of helping the organisation HR managers to strengthen or create and implement workplace policies for different types of addiction. The policy work is performed together with HR and managers on three to four occasions (depending on organisation availability), each lasting 2 hours.

Employers should create a workplace culture where gambling does not impact employees, Cooper added. “Employers hold some responsibility for supporting employees with gambling, particularly because gambling harms have such a significant impact on an individual’s overall health and wellbeing,” she continued. John, an employee at ABC Manufacturing, sought help for his gambling addiction through the company’s Employee Assistance Program.

II. Identifying Gambling Problems in the Workplace

In summary, there is a considerable knowledge gap regarding the effectiveness of PG prevention in workplace settings. The evaluation of prevention programmes is important both in a public health perspective and for the organisations investing in preventive interventions. The current study aims to contribute with knowledge about the effects of such an intervention. Employers can provide support and resources for employees struggling with gambling disorder by offering access to counseling services, employee assistance programs, and support groups.

The Year 2 (2024) GSGB collected data from 19,714 adults aged 18 years and older living in Great Britain. Fieldwork was carried out between January 2024 and January 2025 (further details of the GSGB methodology can be found in our technical report). Participants who had gambled in the past 12 months were asked whether they had experienced any potential adverse or severe consequences from gambling, described as follows.

Outcome measures and data collection

• Companies should provide access to confidential counseling services for employees who may be dealing with gambling problems.
• Employers can check there are blocks on gambling websites and ensure there are no unsupervised computers in rest areas.
• It was created to address the growing need for mental health support for young people.
• Currently, approximately five percent or 668,000 adults in New York State are struggling with a serious gambling problem.
• There needs to be a business-wide culture of being supportive of good mental health.
• It’s important for employers to recognize the signs and symptoms of problem gambling.

Employees may start to act strangely when they have a gambling problem. They may become obsessed with gambling activities or wagering opportunities. If you are sponsoring company activities, you should avoid entry fees and cash prizes to keep within the legal gray zone. The most notable is March Madness, when businesses take a productivity hit of about $20 billion. Employees bet on March Madness pools and watch basketball games online from their desks during work hours.

This is concerning since the younger someone starts gambling, the more likely they are to develop an addiction. Your gambling policy safeguards your business, but it is only as good as your communication plan. Make sure everyone knows the policies, and make sure your managers are trained to have difficult conversations in a nonjudgmental manner. Employee Assistance Programs will connect your employee with counseling and other educational resources. Each outcome corresponds to a questionnaire question (see Outcome measures and data collection section), and the change in each corresponding question from baseline to post and follow-up will be analysed.

Employers should be aware of the signs of gambling disorder and provide support and resources for employees who may be struggling. It is important for individuals with gambling disorder to seek help and treatment in order to address the issue and regain control of their lives. By addressing gambling disorder, individuals can improve their work performance, maintain job stability, and overall enhance their productivity. Semistructured interviews will be conducted with a number of managers from the organisations in the project.

With sports betting apps to online poker rising in popularity across the United States, so has problem gambling and gambling disorder. Managers need to be prepared to spot warning signs of problem gambling and handle it. Manager training can also help them learn how to approach employees with gambling problems compassionately. You also have to communicate it to your employees, distribute it in writing, and include it in your company handbook. In order to avoid contamination between the intervention and waitlist group, randomisation is done at the workplace level.

Lastly, in terms of the semistructured interviews, the responses will be transcribed in verbatim and analysed qualitatively. However, all personal details and sensitive information will be coded to ensure anonymity, and the original recording deleted following the transcription process. Workplace gambling support should start with policies, Wilson advised. Employees can be impacted by others’ gambling problems too, explained professor Cary Cooper, psychologist and advisory board member at addiction rehabilitation centre Delamere. 8 Factor levels refer to the categories within a variable (for example, different income quintiles or ethnicities). With a background in sales and over two decades in the car trade, Cornforth initially maintained a casual relationship with gambling.

Just over a quarter (28%) of those who gamble at harmful levels said they would feel confident telling their employer about the rate they were gambling at. This compared with 57% who said they would tell their friends and 42% who would tell their family. The research, released 6 June, revealed that far fewer people with gambling problems would feel confident talking to their employer about it, compared with speaking with their friends or family. If an employee shares they may have issues with gambling, you can ask some further questions.

However, they are increasingly vulnerable to fraud, costing taxpayers billions annually. Fraud and cyber-attacks may not be the same thing, but the guiding principles for protecting your organisation from both are strikingly similar. As Craig Cornforth's journey highlights, early intervention and support can lead to recovery and redemption, benefiting both the individual and the organisation. Workplaces have a responsibility under work health and safety (WHS) law to take reasonable care of health and safety at work. If you’re worried about a colleague’s physical or psychological safety, then follow your workplace’s policies and procedures as to how to support them.

Since Alna has a vested interest in the study results, it will not be involved in any part of the analyses or the subsequent discussion. For the purposes of analysis, 3 binary indicators were derived to examine whether participants had experienced adverse consequences to resources, relationships, or health. These indicators were coded as ‘Yes’ if participants responded “Occasionally/Sometimes”, “Fairly often/Most of the time”, or “Very often/Almost always” to at least one item within each of the 3 domains. Through Cifas’ Insider Threat Protect solution, organisations can access the Insider Threat Database to help them screen employees and mitigate risks before it’s too late.