WASHINGTON – Human resources (HR) and employee assistance (EA) professionals are often trained to help employees with addiction and other mental health issues, but are not always equipped with the knowledge and resources when it comes to pathological gambling. To help address this issue, the National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) today introduced the first edition of its Gambling and Health series, a suite of publications designed to educate specific audiences about gambling disorders and responsible gaming, as well as the resources available for those who may need help. The first volume, “Gambling and Health in the Workplace," is an educational resource to help HR and EA managers learn about gambling disorders, encourage responsible decisions when gambling and understand practical ways to assist and refer individuals with gambling problems.
"Helping employees with addiction is an important part of health promotion in the workplace, and many EA professionals and HR managers are not as familiar with gambling disorders as they are with alcohol and drug problems," said Alan Feldman, chairman of the NCRG and senior vice president of public affairs for MGM Resorts International. "This guide is designed with those professionals in mind as a way to bridge the gap between research and practice and equip them with the tools necessary to help them in their daily lives.”
The guide provides the latest research on gambling disorders, frequently asked questions that HR and EA professionals might face in the workplace, characteristics of pathological gambling that they may see in an employee's behavior and ways to help educate employees about responsible gaming. Additionally, there is a one-page flyer for employees that outlines facts about the issue and resources to learn more about gambling addiction. The guide and one-pager are available as free downloads at www.ncrg.org/gamblingandhealth.
"Gambling and Health in the Workplace" was developed under the guidance of an advisory committee of leaders in the HR and EA fields, drawing experience from government, the commercial gaming industry and mental health clinicians. It is being released in conjunction with Responsible Gaming Education Week, an annual program coordinated by the American Gaming Association and the National Center for Responsible Gaming designed to provide gaming companies and affiliated national organizations with an opportunity to expand on work they do every day to educate employees and patrons about gambling disorders and how to gamble responsibly.
For more information or to download a free copy of the guidebook, visit www.ncrg.org/gamblingandhealth.
