Australia Moves to Ban Online Gambling in Workplaces

Australian lawmakers have stated that they are concerned that online gaming may pose a threat to employees in organizations throughout the country. The Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation has said that employers should consider banning access to online gaming sites to protect themselves and their employees. Some resource officers have said that they need to crack down on employees who use their employers’ resources to join online gaming sites.

Australia has more liberal online gambling laws than many other countries. Citizens throughout the country have the opportunity to gamble through a variety of online gaming and social media sites. A recent study found that workers could setup a profile on an online gaming site and begin wagering in a matter of minutes. The risks will become greater as online gaming becomes more prevalent.

The CGLR has said that employers should consider creating new educational programs that will discourage their employees from gambling at work. Some employers have setup firewalls to ban access to online gaming sites, but these practices don’t help employees who might be inclined to gamble at home. These employers may also want to consider the risks gambling addictions could carry over into the workforce.

A number of managers have been interviewed and said that they are not aware of any actions to address problem gambling. They are taking measures to ban pornography and other harmful or addictive activities over the Internet, but gambling isn’t on their radar. Some experts have implemented policies to ban access to online gaming sites, but have neglected to address employees who gamble through social media.

They may need to research some of the long-term challenges and address them accordingly.