For decades, group benefit and wellness programs have kept a close eye on the impact of addiction on the welfare of employees. Historically, this has centered on the impact of substance use disorders or habits with negative health outcomes. With support offered through health plans or employee assistance programs, addiction treatment and cessation programs have helped blunt the health effects of alcohol abuse and smoking.
A major problem emerging for public well-being has been the recent increase in gambling disorder (the term gambling disorder is preferred to gambling addiction). As states approve more online gambling options, and with sports betting exploding in popularity in recent years in North America and the United Kingdom, problematic gambling is being reported and recognized more and more.
Old Practice, New Channels
This isn’t to say gambling is bad. It’s certainly not a new practice—Most people have tried it at least once in their life, and nearly all people who gamble say they do it “just for fun.” But for a long time, access to gambling has been limited by people’s proximity to a casino or betting area.
Today, gambling systems have become a ubiquitous part of smartphone apps, sports games, and even stock market trading and video-game systems (European regulators consider video-game “loot boxes” to meet the definition of gambling). This not only puts gambling in front of more people susceptible to developing a habit, but it can also make it difficult for someone to escape the habit. As gambling becomes more accessible, the law of averages suggests that North America will see more and more problematic gambling.
Getting Ahead on Gambling Disorder
Like other forms of addiction, the impact of problem gambling on relationships, work and health can be severe. However, unlike other forms of addiction, problem gambling doesn’t exhibit physical signs of a problem as quickly as substance use disorders often do. This means problem gambling can go unnoticed for a long time, without any recognition of the problem.
Gambling disorder is a recognized mental health disorder in the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Help for the condition is often covered under health insurance or through telehealth mental health services available through an employee assistance program.
Right now, the first step for wellness programs is to spread awareness so that employees can recognize the symptoms of problem gambling early, intervene quickly, and mitigate financial and emotional damage. Sending out a reminder about problematic gambling as part of regular wellness communications once or twice a year can help employees remember to check in with their own habits and reflect on whether they have gotten out of control.
The National Council on Problem Gambling has an FAQ on problem gambling and links to resources for those in need of help.
