Safer Gambling in the Workplace

Q. Am I allowed to gamble if I work for a gambling company?

A. In most cases you will be allowed to gamble as long as it is with another organisation and outside of your working hours. It is highly recommended that you are familiar with your company policy regarding employee gambling, as breaches of these policies can often be viewed as gross misconduct.

Q. Can I gamble whilst I am at work?

A. Gambling at work is generally forbidden unless it is part of your work duties. Exceptions may be made if you are on a break, or it is part of a work event such as a sweepstake or prize draw. It is important to adhere to company guidelines for your own safety and the safety of your colleagues and organisation. Working in gambling can often require periods of concentration so it is important your own gambling is not a distraction as well as a security risk.

Q. Can I ask a customer to place a bet for me?

A. This is extremely unadvisable for a number of reasons.

• It is likely to be strictly against company policy and lead to disciplinary action or dismissal.
• It could lead to errors or disputes over money with a customer.
• You may experience a fear of missing out or “winners envy” if you see a customer continually winning. Remember that players are more likely to lose than they are to win. If you feel you are unable to abstain from gambling whilst you are at work you should speak to someone (see Sources of help).

Q. Can I accept gratuity?

A. Whilst your organisation may allow you to accept gratuity in the form of a gift or a financial tip it is advisable to exercise caution. Do you know the customer? Does the gratuity seem reasonable or is it over generous? Maintaining a professional relationship with your customers important, you do not want to be in a position where a customer may feel they have influence over you or that they are owed something with you. If you are not comfortable accepting gratuity then politely decline.

Q. Would I lose my job if I had an issue with gambling?

A. Having an issue with gambling does not mean that you will lose your job. The misconduct of an individual that may have been caused by a gambling issue may however have serious consequences especially if these involve theft, gambling at work, poor performance, absence or threatening and/or abusive behaviour towards others. Gambling issues can escalate quickly so if you do have concerns it is important to reach out for support as soon as you can (see Sources of help).

Planning

Before you play decide what games you want to play, how much you are comfortable spending and when it is time to walk away.

Open and honest

Are you open with others about your gambling? If you don’t feel comfortable speaking to others at least be honest with yourself. Are you happy with your level of play?

Safety net

Back up your plan by using safer gambling tools to positively re-enforce the boundaries you set. Its easy to get carried away whilst you are actively gambling.

Informed

Take time to learn how your favourite games work and understand the rules of gambling. Keeping informed will help you avoid common gambling myths and fallacies.

Time

Its not just about money! gamble for an amount of time you are comfortable with and balance gambling with other activities.

Interact

Lets talk about gambling! Conversations about gambling are healthy and can help to reduce stigma. It is especially important if you are worried about your own or someone else’s gambling. Remember if you don’t feel comfortable speaking with your colleagues there are professional organisations that can help from Employee Assistance Programmes to other specialist sources of help (see Sources of help).

Volatility

Games can vary depending on speed, stake and risk. Find a level of play you are comfortable with.

Enjoyment

Gambling should be a recreational pastime. It is not a way to make quick money or alleviate financial issues. Take time to think about your gambling and use the tools and support around you to ensure your gambling is safe and fun.

There are a number of Safer Gambling tools available on all forms of gambling, here are a number of them and how they can be used effectively.

Deposit Limits

Set a maximum amount of money that you are able to deposit over a certain period of time. This could be daily, monthly or weekly. Deposit limits are an effective way to control your overall gambling spend and prevent you spending more than you can afford.

Limits can be lowered instantly but to increase your limit you will have to either give 24 hours’ notice or contact your operator to discuss your limits.

Be mindful that depending on who you gamble with, any money that you withdraw during the period at which you have set your deposit limit, may or may not be taken into account. For example if your deposit limit is £50 per week and you deposit £20 on Monday then withdraw £50 on Wednesday some operators will let you deposit £80 for the remainder of the week and some will only let you deposit £30.

Setting limits that best reflect the way that you gamble are the most effective way to use this tool.

Session Reminders

A simple tool that reminds you that you have been gambling for a certain amount of time. Some operators both online and offline will have mandatory reminders in place but you can also set your own reminder in case you lose track of time when immersed in a game. These can be set by the session or spread out over a specified period of time such as a day or a week. This tool is a useful way of ensuring that your time spent gambling is proportionate to other activities and does not negatively affect other aspects of your life.

Reality Check

This will show your net profit and loss over any period of time. It can often be surprising especially if you are a regular gambler how much money you have won and lost over a period of time due to re-staked winnings especially in faster games such as slots, bingo or in-play sports. It is good to use a reality check regularly but also remember that as long as you use deposit limits your losses should not exceed what you are comfortable spending.

Take a break

You may feel like you want to pause your gambling for a short period of time. This could be for a number of reasons, you want to save some money, you are busy with other activities or you feel you want to cool off from gambling. This is an effective tool if you want to abstain for a period of 24 hours to 6 weeks.

Banking Apps

Depending on who you bank with you may have access to safer gambling tools through your banking app, these can be a freeze on gambling transactions, a monthly limit on gambling spend or a restriction on how much you can withdraw in cash each day. Check you bank for details.

Blocking Software

Blocking software is widely available to prevent you from accessing gambling sites online. You may use blocking software as part of an effort to stop gambling or you may choose to block gambling on certain devices such as your phone or a tablet to restrict your gambling. Some software requires your personal details and a subscription, and some software is free. You can find out more about blocking software Gambling Blocking Software & Apps – GambleAware

Self-Exclusion

Should you want to take a longer break from gambling or want to stop gambling altogether you can ask an operator to prevent you from gambling with them. Self-Exclusion is an effective way of reducing or stopping your gambling as it requires an agreement between you and the operator that cannot be reversed until the agreed period of exclusion has passed. You can self-exclude from an operator for a period of between 6 months and 5 years. During that time, you will not be contacted by the operator, you will not be able to access their website or visit their premises if they are a land-based operation and you will not receive any marketing from them. You can only return to gambling once the self-exclusion period has elapsed, and you have agreed with the operator or the providers of the self-exclusion scheme that you wish to resume gambling.  All licensed gambling operators are required to provide self-exclusion schemes and there are multi-operator schemes available so that you can exclude from all gambling sites online or multiple premises depending on the type of gambling you wish to exclude from.

For more information and a full list of the self-exclusion schemes available visit Gambling Self-Exclusion Schemes – GambleAware

Whilst Self Exclusion is a positive and effective first step in tackling a gambling issue, it is highly recommended to seek advice and support to help you stay gambling free. A full list of the support services available can be found below (see Source of help).

Gambling harm is defined as any negative consequence, caused by gambling or made worse by gambling.

These can range from minor harms that may have a short term financial or mental impact such as guilt at not being able to pay a bill, to far more serious consequences that can have a devastating and long-lasting effect on the individual and those around them.

Ultimately it is the act of gambling that either causes or exasperates gambling harm however studies have shown that there can be multiple causes both environmental and social that can lead to gambling being consumed in a harmful way.

With this in mind it is always important to remember that gambling should be a recreational activity, one that is balanced with other activities in your life.

Gambling is never a way to get yourself out of financial difficulty and can often make financial issues worse leading to greater harm. Working in the gambling industry you will witness people winning money and it could quite easily be tempting for you to think you can do this too. We refer to this as winners envy and it is important to remember that for every customer you see winning you will see many more losing. If you are worried about money and debt then please speak to someone who can advise you. Organisations like the Citizens Advice Bureau can offer free practical advice and support.

Gambling like any other recreational activity can provide a welcome break and as a form of entertainment and with controls in place we can minimise the chances of gambling becoming harmful. Turning to gambling more and more frequently to escape other aspects of life to a point where it is negatively impacting on your responsibilities or if you feel you are gambling more and more with increasing amounts of money to experience the same “high” can lead to a number of gambling harms such as:-

• Issues at work
• Over tiredness and a lack of motivation
• Not having time for other things
• Financial issues
• Poor mental health
• Negative impact on those around you such as your family, friends and colleagues

If you are experiencing any of these it is important to reach out as help is available and you can find out where to access help in our Sources of help section.

These signs of harm can also be an indication that something else isn’t quite right. Gambling addiction like other addictions can often be a symptom of another underlying issue such as poor mental health.

Don’t suffer in silence! Gambling issues can escalate quickly making things worse and leading to more serious problems, the sooner you act the better.

Opening up about a problem can be hard but it is also the first step to getting better and people can and do recover. If you are worried about your own or someone else’s mental health organisations like the Samaritans or Mind can help…You’ve got this!

Working in gambling especially if you have a customer facing role means that you will have received training on spotting the signs of harm and how to interact.

How often have you told people to…

• Try a different game or market?
• Take a break?
• Set a limit?
• Use other safer gambling tools?
• Spend less or reduce their stake?
• Spend less time gambling?
• Self exclude?
• Stop gambling or speak to a professional?

Sometimes we can be very good at identifying what other people need to do, but not as good at identifying when we need to do these things ourselves!

Where to find help if……

• If you are concerned about your own or someone else’s gambling.
• You are being negatively impacted by someone else’s gambling.
• You want to talk to someone about something that is going on in your life.

At Work

If you are comfortable to do so you can speak to a colleague that you trust, your line manager or someone who works in HR. Alternatively for free confidential advice your company may provide an employee assistance programme (EAP).

The National Gambling Helpline

Run by Gamcare the National Gambling Helpline offers free confidential support and advice available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Telephone: 0808 8020 133 or you can contact them through a live text chat by visiting www.gamcare.org.uk

The National Gambling Support Network

The National Gambling Support Network (or NGSN for short) exists to help anyone affected by gambling. They provide free, non-judgmental, confidential treatment, advice and support.

This means that as well as supporting people who are experiencing gambling harms themselves, they support people who are affected by someone else’s gambling. From mental wellbeing to financial struggles, they can provide guidance to help you get back on track.

GambleAware funds and assures the quality of the work of the National Gambling Support Network. You can access their services through their website, to help you find the right support for you.

The National Gambling Support Network – GambleAware

The NHS

The NHS run a number of gambling clinics and information on gambling addiction can be found at www.nhs.uk/live-well/addiction-support/gambling-addiction/

You can also contact your GP.

The Citizens Advice Bureau

For free advice on gambling as well as debt and money issues visit. www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Mental heath

Organisations such as the Samaritans or Mind can offer free support and advice if you are concerned about your own or someone else’s mental health. They can also provide support in a crisis.

The Samaritans
www.samaritans.org
Telephone: 116 123

Mind
www.mind.org.uk
Call Mind’s support line on 0300 102 1234