Gambling is fun and it gives you a chance to win a lot of money just as there is a chance of losing it. We are in the digital era where everyone has a smartphone or a computer. Access to the Internet also means there are one too many sites open for gambling activities 24 hours 7 days a week. This means you can gamble anywhere and anytime including when you’re at work. How can you gamble at work responsibly?
In this article, you are going to learn how to gamble, the negative impacts of gambling at work, and how to protect yourself from the consequences. Also, you will find a better option and learn how to escape being a part of that status quo.
How To Gamble At Work Responsibly
The negative impacts of gambling at work are what we hear more often. Bad news, they say, is loudest. But do you know that gambling at work doesn’t have to affect your job? Do you know there are ways to gamble without getting into trouble at work? Do you know some people gamble at work and are still productive?
To be able to gamble and be productive at the same time, you need to have a strategy. You have to consciously put certain measures in place and diligently observe them. Oh, don’t be afraid, you are capable of handling this just fine. All you need is to discipline yourself and in no time, you will be a pro at transitioning between work and gambling or mixing it up.
1. Playing From Your Phone
With the availability of so many online gambling sites, you don’t have to be physically present for your games. Playing from your phone allows you to work and gamble at the same time.
How to do this: for it to work, you need to time yourself. Time is just as valuable as money. Don’t delude yourself into believing you can keep a mental track of time. Set your phone or wristwatch alarm to time your gambling activity when you are at the office. You can time yourself for no more than 8 minutes out of every working hour. As soon as your alarm rings, get off the website and return to work.
2. Look for a Discreet Place and Make it Your Casino
Your working environment may be one with surveillance cameras everywhere or your supervisor constantly breathing down your neck. For this, you may need to find a discreet place away from such monitoring eyes. The bathroom or any other unutilized space may be perfect for you.
3. Focus on One Thing at a Time
It is never a good idea to do two things competing for your mind’s attention. When it is time to work, concentrate on doing a good job. When it is time to gamble, focus on the game to avoid making mistakes. However, if you must do the two at the same time, look for an automatic option in the game. For example, all online slots have an auto spin feature that spins the reels even when you drop your phone.
4. Get Someone to Cover Up
If you have a colleague to cover up for you, take the chance. Also, nothing beats having a supportive partner. Some employees go out to smoke while their colleagues cover up for them so why can’t you go out to gamble? See this as a privilege and don’t abuse it. Indeed, you must be prepared to repay the favor by covering up for them when it is their turn.
5. Stay Off the Company’s Property
Never use your company’s computer or smartphones to gamble. Your company has huge bills to pay on these at the end of the month. Imagine what will happen if they find out that they are also paying bills for a gambling website. So, always be professional and thoughtful. Use your devices for your gambling activity whether you are on or off duty.
6. Don’t Borrow Money to Gamble
No matter how tempting it is, do not borrow money to gamble. Your reputation should always be of the utmost importance to you, especially in your office. Learn to stake what you can afford to lose if it comes to that. And if unfortunately, you lose a bet, be willing to accept the loss. Resist the urge to borrow from your coworker to recoup. Remember, you have to know when to hold and when to fold.
This includes using your company’s finances to gamble. If you have direct access to your company’s finance, do NOT use it to fund your bets, EVER! You want your face in the news for some great accomplishments and not for a mugshot.
7. You May Get Slip-ups
At the end of the day, you’re human and you are allowed to make your mistakes. If you are caught gambling during working hours, take responsibility. Don’t try to make excuses for your misconduct. If you were gambling with your device and with your money, you might only be punished internally. If you were using the company’s resources, you would lose more than your job. You will face criminal charges.
Some companies allow office gambling amongst workers and also offer support systems for gambling. If you work for one of those, lucky you. However, do not hold personal grudges against a colleague if you lose a bet. Anger and frustration will only lead to a tense and even toxic environment.
8. To All Remote Workers
If you are a remote worker, you might have ample time to gamble during working hours. Also, you are free to gamble without the fear of exposure. However, do not take advantage of this by letting gambling sessions spill into work hours. You still need to be accountable to yourself and others above you.
Negative Aspects of Gambling Compulsively At Work
An employee who has no control over his gambling tends to lose focus at work. Their mind is struggling to concentrate at once on the two important things to them: the job and their gambling games. This reduces the productivity rate of the employee. Also, this can lead to unnecessary mistakes and repetition of such mistakes that can eventually cost them their jobs.
Gambling without proper control can cause an employee to appear at work late, disappear without explanation, or be absent repeatedly. Also, employees who gamble irresponsibly have to ask their colleagues to cover up for them too much. This can interrupt their company’s workflow, harm the individual’s reputation, and by extension, the company’s. When it’s time for layoffs, who do you think will be let go first?
Another negative impact of gambling at work is theft. When an employee has no control of their gambling habits, they might be tempted to steal their company’s money to fund their stakes. This can lead to serious consequences such as being handed over to the authorities and facing serious jail time.
Employees who have no control over their gambling activities also tend to frequently run into debts and may have to borrow from their colleagues. This is never a good idea as problems may arise with the employee not being able to pay back.
Compulsive gamblers also tend to be aggressive toward their colleagues. For example, an individual (constantly) loses money and is queried by their superior for not meeting up to company standards in official assignments.
When you gamble at work without the control measures listed above, you’re bound to have some serious problems with your employer and coworkers. You wouldn’t want to get sanctioned, fired, or even worse, handed over to the authorities because of these consequences.
Final Words
With these tips above, you won’t need to worry about getting fired at work because of your gambling activities. You will learn how to combine being productive at your job and staying in control of your games.
So, this brings you back to the question; how can you gamble at work? You need to gamble responsibly. For you to gamble responsibly, the ultimate key is self-discipline. Creating a safe balance between working and gambling can also help improve your work performance and productivity in other aspects of your life.
Remember to keep things professional. Just like you grew to learn the ropes of gambling, so will you learn how to balance it with your work.
