The legalization of mobile sports betting in Massachusetts has some employers worried about how this may impact their employees and productivity.

I’m a New Englander and I love our teams, but I’m also a business owner, and I have a real concern about how online sports betting will impact my employees.  What do I tell my leaders to say and do to ensure we keep the company running and no one gets in over their head with the new easy access to gambling?

A. While some people are thrilled with the Massachusetts legalization of online sports betting on March 10, 2023, others including HR people, managers, company leaders and mental health professionals have a host of concerns. Managing and maintaining productivity has been hard enough with work from home, and with online gambling added, companies face serious worries.  While the total population is a concern, mental health professionals are particularly concerned about the 25- to 35-year-old male demographic, as this population is being targeted to utilize the open access gambling available for anyone with a smartphone.  Just like the serotonin kick online shoppers get, gamblers are physiologically rewarded with every bet they make. But there is no return policy in gambling to protect people, especially those with addiction issues, from significant financial problems.

 Many companies have policies about not using their company provided technology, whether computer or cell phone, for personal business, but these policies are often not enforced.  Employees may not recognize that their employers can monitor the sites they are on, duration of calls, what they might be live streaming, or even the number of keystrokes in a period of time.  Managers and HR must communicate the policies and enforce them as well.  They need to stay aware of employees’ personal situations such as borrowing against their 401 or any other kind of payroll advance.  HR, and the organization need to take notice if this is a new behavior. This might also be a good time to update your employee manual to establish a policy that prohibits online gambling during work hours and in the workplace.

 I consulted Josh Sagor, Managing Partner of Comprehensive EAP, a Boston based Employee Assistance Program who offered the following insights.

 “By some estimates there are about 2.5 million Americans struggling with a gambling addiction, so this is certainly not a new problem for mental health professionals to address. What makes this particular moment in Massachusetts concerning is the newfound ease of access on a level never seen before in our state. Prior to the enactment of this law, Massachusetts residents would have to drive over state lines to Connecticut to place a bet on a sporting event, which was generally unlikely for a casual bettor. Now, anyone over 18 with a smartphone (which is about 97% of the population according to Pew Research), can lay a bet without having to leave the house, or step outside their place of work.

 To be clear, many will gamble responsibly, but this is truly a sea change insofar as access and I believe we are bound to see more individuals with problematic gambling behaviors.

 I think it is important for managers, and HR professionals, to be aware of this change and by the sheer law of numbers, may affect some of their employees. They should be ready to support employees who find themselves struggling with gambling by being aware of some of the publicly available resources (such as the Office of Problem Gambling Services) as well as specific support the company may offer. EAPs are in a great position to help employees by consulting with managers who suspect their employees may have, or be developing, a gambling addiction; providing 1:1 Counseling with a Licensed Counselor to help address the problematic gambling; finding additional resources within the community such as gambling support groups, and psychoeducational literature.”

 Every change needs to be evaluated by HR to address how employees might be impacted.