The charity says employers should provide safe spaces for workers to talk about gambling.
UK.- The gambling support charity GamCare is urging UK employers to ensure they provide options for support for staff vulnerable to gambling addiction amid the Euro 2024 tournament. It has suggested that workplaces should have safe spaces for workers to discuss any problems with gambling and should be able to direct staff to support services.
GamCare proposed a five-step plan for employers to adopt. It suggests having HR policies to provide open spaces to disclose gambling addiction in line with policies on drugs, alcohol or mental health issues. It suggests companies train line managers to support staff and direct them to services like the National Gambling Helpline and also create internal support networks to reduce stigma.
It suggests companies should be cautious when creating sweepstakes around Euro 2024 and should also be aware that gambling harm does not affect only the gambler.
Samantha Turton, GamCare’s head of remote support services, said: “Last year we saw steps for more GPs to ask questions from patients around gambling, which is an important step forward.
“We believe workplaces could be the next place to create more awareness about gambling and could be a win-win for organisations and staff, with people feeling more supported and engaged at work and organisations benefitting from a happier, healthier workforce.
“In the most severe cases, it can even help prevent against gambling-related crime at work, which can protect both employees and their businesses.”
GamCare highlighted YouGov research that found that only 9 per cent of people said they had support for vulnerable gamblers in their workplace, while 47 per cent said their workplace had mental health policies. YouGov also found that only 28 per cent of problem gamblers would be comfortable with telling their employer about their problem.
Several regulators have issued warnings to operators ahead of Euro 2024. The French gambling regulator L’Autorité Nacionale des Jeux (ANJ) has launched an awareness and prevention campaign on gambling harm. Designed by the agency Rosbeef!, the campaign appears to criticise the mandatory warnings on gambling operators’ ads, suggesting that they are insufficient to highlight the risks of sports betting addiction.