Gambling in the Workplace

The Problem

Studies show that there may be as many as six to ten million compulsive gamblers in the United States.  Research estimates range from 105,000 to 182,000 gambling addicts in the state of Louisiana alone.  Unfortunately, with the vast spread of legalized gambling in our country, there is a good chance that a compulsive gambler works for YOU.

What is it?

Compulsive gambling (more correctly termed Pathological Gambling) was defined in 1980 by the American Psychiatric Association as an Impulse Control disorder.  It is similar to addictions, but without ingesting alcohol, drugs, food, caffeine or nicotine - it is a psychological behavioral addiction that is driven by an overwhelming, uncontrollable desire to gamble.  Starting as social and enjoyable gambling, it progresses to problem gambling, only to develop into a gambling addiction.  It has the most serious consequences of all addictions, leading to financial ruin, poor school, work or occupational productivity, family turmoil, poor health, criminal acts and often suicide attempts.

Even before the disorder was clinically defined, Dr. Robert L. Custer started the country’s first inpatient gambling treatment program in the Brecksville VA Medical Center, Cleveland in 1972.  Dr. Robert Politzer directed the first state funded treatment program through Johns Hopkins Hospital from 1979 to 1983.  Dr. Valerie Lorenz, now of Williamsville Wellness, is credited with seminal research on the family of compulsive gamblers.  She developed a model residential program focusing on intensive one-on-one therapy for the gambler and with a strong focus on the family.  She and Dr.  Politzer co-chaired the Maryland Task Force on Compulsive Gambling which identified work problems, crimes and economic costs of this addiction. Hence, research and dedication to the disorder are on your side at Williamsville Wellness.

 

Signs of compulsive gambling in the workplace?

There are many obvious signs of compulsive gambling at work.

Misuse of Time

• Late to work (due to late night card games, casino ventures or bad nights sleep form worrying about gambling–related problems.)
• Long lunches (off-track betting, meeting bookmakers, loan sharks or creditors).
• Mysterious disappearances in the afternoon (typically at the track, off track betting, afternoon card or dice games or listening to sporting events).
• Vacation time used in isolated days rather than a block
• Sick days taken right when they become available rather than allowed to accumulate ( uses sick day to gamble)
• Excessive use of the telephone (calls to off-track betting, bookie, stockbroker, creditors or to find money; calls from bookie, broker or creditors-including loan sharks and loan companies).
• Reads newspaper and sports literature at work (scratch sheet from race track, racing from, sporting news, etc.)

Signs of Obsession with Gambling and/or Debts

• Unfinished projects
• Irritability
• Poor concentration
• Moodiness: mood depends on whether winning or losing at the moment and whether money is available for gambling
• Has an obsessive interest in the scores of sporting events, results or horse or dog races, lotteries or illegal number games

Gambling on Company Time

• Use of lunch hour to gamble and extensions of this into work time (concerns with money owed to co-workers and arguments among employees over money owed)
• Office paycheck pool (the person running this may be a compulsive gambler).
• Office sports pool
• Collects money for off-track betting, lottery (going ostensibly to help co-workers, but actually going so he or she can place bets)
• Organize trips to Atlantic City , Las Vegas or other gambling junkets
• Is the runner for bookmakers who operate within the company (many runners are themselves compulsive gamblers and become runners to gamble more)
• Is a bookmaker (many bookmakers are compulsive gamblers more and to have more “action”)
• Receives visits or phone calls on company time from strangers (stranger may be a bookmaker collecting a debt)

Creditor Problems

• Owes money to loan shark who operates at the company
• Pay is garnished
• Credit union loans (numerous often are not the only loans the employee has)
• Receives advances on pay
• Borrows from co-workers (some may be loan sharks)
• Arguments with co-workers over money owed
• Borrows money from company

Embezzlement, Employee Theft and Other Illegal Activity

• Steals money from company
• Steals items from company for resale to pay gambling debts
• Sells items at work (either personal property or stolen goods)

Some Questions Often Asked

Q. Isn't problem gambling a financial problem?

A. No, problem gambling is an emotional problem. Financial problems are created, as are marital, employment and legal problems as a result of this emotional problem. In reality, of the many serious difficulty created for a compulsive gambler, the financial problem will often end up being the easiest to solve once the individual enters recovery.

Q. What are some characteristics of a compulsive gambler?

• Inability and unwillingness to accept reality by escaping into the dream world of gambling
• Emotional insecurity –a compulsive gambler is only comfortable when “in-action”.
  They feel secure when gambling
• Immaturity (i.e. a desire to have “all the good things in life” with no great effort)

In addition, the following signs of trouble mean that a crisis may be on the horizon:

• A discrepancy between income and assets
• Money and assets disappearing, or suddenly appearing
• Secrecy about money
• Vagueness or double-talk about assets, income and expenses
• Unexplained bills, debts or payments
• Loans from legal and illegal sources
• Urgent requests to family and friends for money
• Decline in savings
• Sales of stock with no reinvestment
• Reports that equipment and jewelry are being repaired or have been lost or stolen
• Mysterious and angry phone calls and messages