Impacts of the work environment in gaming venues on staff: an exploratory study

Australian gaming venues employ substantial numbers of staff, whose work environment is distinctive, given their ongoing exposure to gambling, close interaction with gamblers, and frequent exposure to gambling-related marketing. However, minimal research has been conducted into how working in a gaming venue may impact on the gambling behaviour of employees. Only three published studies have examined this, all with North American casino employees. Results indicate that problem gambling is relatively high amongst this group. Further, a literature review identifies numerous workplace factors elevating the potential risk of gambling problems for gaming venue employees, although other workplace factors may mitigate these influences. However, no Australian research has investigated how working in a gaming venue influences the gambling behaviour of employees. This paper presents some exploratory data and some preliminary thoughts on how and why gaming venue staff may be an at-risk group for developing gambling problems and how their workplaces might assist in encouraging responsible gambling and discouraging problem gambling amongst their staff.