Gambling Policy In The Workplace

So you didn’t win the Powerball jackpot? There are still plenty of opportunities to win big in the next few weeks as Super Bowl 50, March Madness, and even the Oscars quickly approach. Many employees will likely be solicited by their fellow co-workers or supervisors to participate in office pools or football squares. However, employers should not allow conduct that is inappropriate, and in some states illegal, to interfere with business operations.

A clear, consistently applied policy defining what activities are prohibited and permitted can go a long way toward ensuring workplace gambling does not spin out of control. Provide awareness training: Without awareness, problem gambling will not be detected. The signs of a gambling problem are seldom identified as gambling related. To: All Employees. From: Melinda Loftin, Designated Agency Ethics Official. Subject: Gambling in the Workplace. March Madness fever is here. Millions of anxious viewers will be glued to the season's basketball games, ready to pick their brackets and, for many, place bets on their favorite team. The gambling policy also should be coordinated with the organization’s discipline program, carving out specific behaviors that are subject to discipline and termination. Game over Allowing gambling at work — by virtue of not having a policy, not enforcing the policy, promoting gambling, or just ignoring it — leaves an organization open to. Gambling disorders as they are with alcohol and drug problems. While pathological gambling only affects about 1 percent of the adult population, it affects those individuals in a serious way. If left unchecked or untreated, individuals suffering from pathological gambling can face serious health, social and financial consequences. Creating a policy on workplace gambling is not as simple as it first sounds. Here are some of the complexities and a possible solution. You walk down the halls of your workplace and activity is at a level of frenzy you’ve seldom seen. It has nothing to do with work, of course.

Some employers may view voluntary wagers made among employees at work as friendly competition or harmless fun. In some cases, periodic or seasonal workplace rivalries may even increase morale as different offices or different departments compete against one another for bragging rights. Working together to complete and then follow the results of a March Madness tournament bracket, for instance, may give employees who do not usually converse outside of their day-to-day job duties an opportunity to relate to each other on a different level. However, such activity could lead to division and alienation if some employees feel excluded for potentially discriminatory reasons related to race, gender, disability, religion, or other protected characteristics. Moreover, employees who already feel they are being treated unfairly may point to their exclusion from workplace wagers as further evidence of harassment, as may employees who are ridiculed by their co-workers for refusing to participate (perhaps due to their objection to gambling on religious grounds).

In addition, employees spending time during business hours to confer and place bets, as well as regularly following their picks, can lead to reduced productivity. Employees may cause interference with the company’s network operations if they stream live events on their laptops or smartphones. While the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards are held during the weekend, the March Madness tournament spans four weeks during both weekends and weekdays. Employers should be cautious not to endorse activities that will result in a significant loss of productivity.

Bookmaking is also illegal in many states. With many employees working remotely or across state lines, the risk of unknowingly committing a crime multiplies. Likewise, the creation of on-line gambling allows employees to place bets anytime, anywhere – including from their offices or cubicles. Even though workplace gambling is unlikely to result in criminal investigation or prosecution, employers should not turn a blind eye or otherwise appear to condone any illegal conduct occurring in the workplace.

In order to help minimize potential exposure to liability, employers should make it clear what is and is not permitted in the workplace. If employers conduct business in a state in which workplace gambling is illegal, employers should notify their employees that it is expressly prohibited and that employees will be disciplined if they engage in such prohibited conduct on the job. Even if employers conduct business in a state that permits private bookmaking, employers should avoid formally sponsoring pools or wagers where money will change hands. If employers choose to allow employees to participate in non-monetary wagers, employers should remind their employees that they must comply with all company policies, including those policies related to appropriate workplace conduct and the acceptable use of company resources.

Employers might also want to remind their employees of the procedures available for reporting any issues or concerns that may arise related to office pools or other workplace bets, and consider training their supervisors to monitor workforce conduct during the traditional office pool/betting season to help ensure policies are being equally and consistently applied. Finally, employers are advised to watch out for situations in which employees are excluded from or pressured to participate in office pools and other wagers. While nothing is ever a safe bet, being cognizant of the issues that can arise during betting season may increase the odds of maintaining a congenial workplace.

Practice Note
Gambling is prohibited by three federal laws—the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, the Interstate Wire Act of 1961 and the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act of 2006—which outlaw betting on professional or amateur sports (with exceptions for a few states) and using the Internet for interstate wagers and unlawful gambling. Because placing sports wagers is illegal in most states, allowing your employees to engage in online betting, possibly with out-of-state employees, violates these laws.
State laws vary. A few states allow small pools that limit entry fees and forbid the “house” (the employer) from keeping any winnings; however, federal laws will still apply.

Most workplace policies will prohibit gambling, some with a few exceptions, such as donating all winnings to a charity or creating no-entry-fee pools in which the employer provides a prize.

Objective

Gambling Policy In The Workplace

[Company Name] prohibits most forms of gambling in the workplace, including professional or organized gambling activities. Where federal and state laws allow, the company may allow exceptions to this prohibition for [Company Name]-sponsored events supporting a charitable or fundraising cause.

Gambling Policy In The Workplace Discrimination

Employees must seek the approval of the human resource (HR) department prior to engaging in any gambling activities. Failure to comply with this policy may result in disciplinary action, including possible termination of employment.

Gambling Policy In The Workplace Behavior

The HR department ensures that [Company Name] is in compliance with all applicable federal, state and local gambling laws.