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Online Gambling a Losing Battle in the Workplace

According to Websense Inc. -- a software company that helps corporations manage employee Internet use -- the number of gambling sites on the Net has spiked from 6,992 in August 1999 to more than 21,651 as of August 2000. This represents a 209 percent increase during one year, with an increase of 136 percent during the last six months.

The increase in gambling sites could adversely affect the workplace in many corporations, according to Dr. David Greenfield from the Center for Internet Studies and author of Virtual Addiction.

``Companies that provide Internet access to gambling sites may incur substantial employee productivity losses,'' said Greenfield. ``In extreme cases, this may increase the potential for liability from the negative consequences an employee may incur -- including compulsive gambling problems and financial losses.''

Online gambling is one of the fastest-growing industries on the Internet, with annual revenues of $1.2 billion last year, an increase of 80 percent from 1998. It has the potential to become a $3 billion industry by 2002, according to Bear Stearns, a global investment bank.

``It's critical that every organization establish written Internet use policies to define inappropriate workplace Internet use, such as gambling in the workplace,'' said Websense Chief Executive Officer John B. Carrington. ``But to enforce these policies and to reduce the risk of legal liability, a company should also automate its acceptable Internet use policies with Web filtering software, such as Websense Enterprise.''

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