Risky business: Gambling problems amongst gaming venue employees in Queensland, Australia

Abstract

This study examines gambling and problem gambling among gaming venue staff and provides a quantitative analysis that is directly comparable to the general population. A sample of 511 staff from casinos, hotels, and clubs in Queensland, Australia completed a questionnaire. Results indicate that employees exceed the average for gambling participation, regular gambling, and usual gambling duration for every type of gambling for which comparisons could be made. Problem gambling rates amongst staff were 9.6 times higher than for the Queensland population. Problem and moderate-risk gamblers were typically males who worked around gambling facilities and assisted patrons with gambling. A substantial proportion of problem and moderate-risk gamblers report increasing their gambling since commencing work. These results are of interest, given the importance of understanding how exposure interacts with gambling behaviour, of debates about the nature of this interaction, and of industry-based responsible gambling policies that particularly focus on gaming venue employees.