Workshops for Business

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Unlike alcoholics, it’s sometimes hard to spot employees with gambling problems but they’ll affect many more people. The problem gambler impacts approximately 11 other people including spouses, children, parents, employers and co-workers. The financial and social impact of problem and pathological gambling is felt in the workplace where absenteeism, theft, lower productivity and job loss can be costly to both workers and employers. However, employers can now play a significant role in preventing gambling problems. Game Planit has developed an exciting (risk management) workshop for employees aimed at prevention of gambling problems rather than solely focusing on identifying problems when it’s too late. This workshop will help employers protect their bottom-line while benefiting the individual, the family, and the community at large.

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The Impact on Business

While the social impact of gambling is very hard to measure precisely, several studies have tried to measure the impact on businesses. While findings varied from study to study, several general observations can be reported:

• Approximately two out of three pathological gamblers commit crimes in order to pay off debts or to continue gambling
• While the majority of crimes are non- violent and involve embezzlement, check forgery, stealing credit cards, tax evasion, fencing stolen goods, insurance fraud, bookmaking, employee theft and fraud, they occasionally involve violence and armed robbery
• More than a third of pathological gamblers report stealing up to $5,000 from their employers
• More than a third report losing their jobs because of gambling-related problems
• It's estimated that pathological gamblers cost their employers five hours a month in late time
• Problem gamblers are also more likely to ask for advances on their pay and to borrow from fellow employees
• 14% of problem gamblers reported skipping entire days from work in order to gamble
• 26% were divorced or separated due to gambling, which has a spillover effect in job performance and other employment issues

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Employee Protection

Studies have shown that the prevalence of problem gambling dramatically increases in the vicinity of new casinos to at least double the rates of those before the casino opened. With an increase in the numbers of problem gamblers in the community, businesses need to be prepared to protect their operations and deal with the resulting consequences of problem gambling employees. More importantly, businesses now have an opportunity to prevent potential problems to their employees and business through education, which simply makes good business sense.

Where other addiction programs in the workplace try to raise awareness of signs and symptoms of addictive disorders and get problem employees into treatment, Game Planit has developed a prevention model that focuses on short-circuiting the addiction process and immunizing your employees against gambling problems. Game Planit’s extensive expertise in electronic gaming machine designs coupled with its addiction expertise and experience has allowed it to develop a workplace workshop that reveals the processes involved in gambling addiction. Concealed electronic game attributes are exposed, such as hidden odds and illusions of favorable odds. These actually cause or exacerbate pathological gambling or other pre-existing disorders. And, the machines themselves mimic highly addictive processes and create distorted expectations of game outcomes. Problem gambling is less likely if players know about the multiple known risk factors and game attributes that contribute to the addictive processes. The acquisition of myths and distorted expectations, which are an integral part of problem gambling, is reduced.

Raising awareness of risk factors and making potentially vulnerable players more aware of the potential dangers of slot machine play will help them to be more informed consumers. The workshop also stresses taking appropriate protective actions to protect yourself, like budgeting and limiting frequency and length of play.

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Book Now & Protect Your Business & Employees

Employers will recoup the cost of this workshop if it prevents only one employee from developing a gambling problem that could cost the employer $1,000s or more.

Please take a moment to consider this valuable workshop. A $500 deposit now will ensure the reservation of your preferred day and time.

Game Planit is now booking workshops for September into the fall of 2003.

Cost: $500/workshop (maximum up to 25 participants) plus $15/participant, (covers participants' materials), plus applicable taxes. Customized workshops are also available.