World Cup & Workplace Sweepstakes – Suggested guidelines from our Gambling Harms Team

Whether you’re into football or not, with Scotland qualifying for the World Cup (it brings me great joy typing that!) if you’re not watching it, you’ll still most definitely be hearing about it in your social circles in and around the workplace. And with big tournaments, office sweepstakes tend to be a thing.

We want to make sure everyone at Simon Community Scotland can enjoy the atmosphere.

Without intending to be over-bearing, we thought it would be good to put together some general guidance regarding sweepstakes. And as an organisation that supports people facing gambling harm, we want to lead the way in creating a workspace that is inclusive and safe for staff.

Why does it matter?
For most, a £2 sweepstake is a bit of fun. But for a colleague in recovery or someone
struggling with debt, workplace gambling, even on this scale, can be:

• A Trigger: Constant talk of odds and bets and even the football itself, can make a workplace feel high-pressure.
• Isolating: It can make staff feel they can’t join in the discussion if they don’t want to participate.
• Hidden Harm: With gambling harms, people tend to struggle in silence. Gambling harm doesn’t discriminate. It could affect absolutely anyone and you may never know.

True story:
It was my first week on the job at a previous post (many years ago now…I’m 12 years without a bet) and it was World Cup time. I certainly wasn’t as confident then as I am now, as I was struggling on and off with gambling. At that time, I was around 6 months without a bet. The management had organised a world cup sweepstake which was promoted throughout the office and in the wider organisation. For me, this was my worst nightmare as anything even remotely gambling-esque was incredibly triggering for me at that delicate time. First week nerves and meeting new people, coupled with the excitement/anxiety of the football
and trying to keep clear of betting wasn’t ideal.

I was asked on several occasions if I wanted to buy a team for £2, which I managed to resist. But after being persuaded by the fact there was only one team left to draw (FOMO), I caved into peer pressure and pulled out Paraguay.

So, Paraguay were never going to win the World Cup (sorry Paraguay) but that didn’t stop me from getting back into that betting headspace and I made sure I watched all of their group games and they became my tournament team.

What happened from there? I spiralled that Summer with betting, as I quietly went about my business at work.

No one knew.

If I can put it in a different way: Recovering from gambling related harm takes time, persistence and a whole lot of will power. Some people might get to a point where they can do this kind of thing again at some stage. But for many (and I know a lot of them) sweepstakes, raffles, tombolas are a no go, as it reignites that part of your brain that’s been sitting dormant. It’s like pouring fuel on a fire, which can quickly take over.

My advice to anyone who is struggling personally: Listen to your gut. If it feels, looks and sounds like gambling, then treat it as such. That wee flutter in your stomach, is your body trying to keep you on the right track.

Darren (top left following Scotland in Kiev – to this day he has no idea where the Australian cork hat came from!) 🙂

Guidance for the workplace:

• Opt-In, Not Opt-Out: Don’t assume everyone wants to play. Avoid chasing people for entries.
• Keep the Chat Balanced: It’s okay to talk about the game, but try to avoid discussing odds, spreads, or betting apps in common areas.
• Safe Spaces: Ensure that viewing areas (if you have a TV on) are optional so those who find the noise or atmosphere triggering can work elsewhere. This isn’t really relevant for this world cup as such with the later kick off times but possibly for residential services for earlier kick offs.
• Give staff a heads up: If there is a sweepstake going around, it’s maybe a good idea to let your staffing team know (again, without promoting it) just to ensure that no-one is blindsided.
• Change the radio station: The radio is generally full of betting ads, and we expect this to be ramped up over the World Cup. If a member of staff would like to move elsewhere, turn the radio down or change the station down it would be kind to allow them to do this.

Creative Alternatives:
Here are some ways to build team spirit that doesn’t involve gambling:

• The Office Snack Pool: Instead of a betting pool, have a “World Cup Potluck.” Assign each team a country and ask staff to bring in a snack from that region.
• Skill-Based “Keepy-Uppy” Challenge: A lunchtime competition in the car park or park. Most touches wins a trophy.
• A good old fashioned kick about!: An organised kick about in the park tends to go down well.
• World Cup Trivia: A quick 10-question quiz on a Friday afternoon. Use skill and knowledge rather than luck.

The Legal Bit (Keeping it compliant):
Did you know that under the UK Gambling Act, Work Lotteries (like sweepstakes) have rules? This was also an education for us!

• Physical Presence Only: Everyone must work at the same physical location. You cannot legally run a sweepstake across different hubs or include remote workers via email/Teams.
• Cash Only: You cannot use bank transfers or PayPal. Tickets must be physical and sold in person.
• No Profit: All money collected must go back out as prizes or to charity.

Gambling and its link to homelessness:
At Simon Community Scotland, we recognise and understand that gambling harms can be a driver and cause to homelessness within our communities (which may also keep people within that cycle). Gambling harm can also potentially lead to debt, relationship breakdowns, and poor mental health.

By talking about gambling harms openly within the workplace, we are practising upstream prevention and doing our bit to reduce shame and stigma.

Finally, by creating a gambling-safe environment in our own offices, we are showing a level of solidarity to the people we work alongside on a wider level.

It really does help.