ONE in three Scots who gamble is worried about their work colleagues finding out about their habit, a new poll shows.

Research by the polling company YouGov found that Scotland has the most frequent gamblers, where 28 per cent of adults have a flutter at least once a week, which is over five times the number of adults in the south west of England at just five per cent.

Over one-third (37 per cent) of Scots would like to hide their gambling from colleagues, compared to just 12 per cent in the West Midlands.

A report from Reed in Partnership, which provides employment support services, sets out the scale of the challenge faced by those who are in work or looking to get back into work and gamble.

The YouGov research found more than one in four working adults who gamble (28 per cent) in the UK would prefer to keep the extent of their gambling hidden from their colleagues.

The problem is particularly acute for those in the finance, accountancy and legal sectors, where more than a third (34 per cent) worry about their work colleagues finding out about their gambling.

The report calls for businesses to take more action to support staff who may struggle with problem gambling and for employment support programmes to do more to identify the early signs of gambling addiction.

Those with management responsibility are more likely to have gambled in the last year than those without management responsibility – 45 per cent compared to 39 per cent.

Almost three quarters of people surveyed (72 per cent) think that businesses should be concerned about the negative impact of gambling on their employees.

The report highlights that the problem is having an impact on the UK economy, with three per cent of adults knowing someone who has lost their job as a result of problem gambling, and many who are out of work being unable to get a job because of their compulsive behaviour or because they cannot afford the cost of travelling to an interview or buying work clothes.

The unemployed are twice as likely to use controversial fixed-odds betting terminals, one of the major growth areas for high street betting shops, as those who are in work (eight per cent compared to four per cent).

With an estimated 35,000 machines across the UK, bets of up to £100 can be placed every 20 seconds, meaning a problem gambler could lose up to £1,500 in just five minutes.

Martin Fallon, managing director of Reed in Partnership said: “It’s important that we provide adequate support and guidance for those who are at risk of losing their jobs because of gambling, and those whose addiction is stopping them from getting back into the workplace.

“At the same time fixed-odds betting terminals which are particularly attractive to the unemployed, have such high limits that you could lose one month’s worth of Job Seeker’s Allowance in less than one minute.”

Reed in Partnership also conducted interviews with their employment advisers who provide one-to-one and small group advice to those who are out of work. They reported that many young men including those with learning difficulties – talked openly about gambling losses.

One of Reed in Partnership’s employment advisers, who works with the long term unemployed, said: “Job-seekers already struggle when on JSA to make ends meet and by gambling they are entering a vicious circle which can be hard to break and cause debt, blacklisting or even crime.”

Reed in Partnership, which provides advice training and guidance to the unemployed, is looking at how more can be done to identify those at risk of developing a gambling problem through a diagnostic tool known as the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) and then providing advice and signposting to appropriate services.

The report also calls on businesses to have strict workplace gambling policies, with risks to finances and addressing the detrimental impact on employees’ wellbeing. This could include better information in the work place so that employees can recognise if they or one of their colleagues are at the early stages of becoming a problem gambler.

Case study: ‘I felt like I couldn’t lose’

EDINBURGH University student Carl Hanson, 21, has been gambling since the age of 15.

He began with playing 2p nudgers in amusement arcades and would occasionally buy £1 scratch cards. After winning £40 on one he became obsessed with winning and began spending more money on amusements.

Carl said: “By the age of 18 I gradually became more obsessed with the idea of winning on these machines and winning money in general, and so I started risking more money.

“I would risk £20 a spin on roulette and sometimes I’d win more than £100, but truthfully, the majority of the time I would lose.

“This became a regular occurrence, more than three times a week, losing the wages I was making from my part-time job. The thought of winning always seemed like a valid reason to go back.

“This went on for a couple of years and by the age of 20 I had begun playing these games, mainly roulette, online regularly.

“I had also gotten into sports betting by this stage with it being an absolute obsession of mine on the weekends, and often betting on midweek fixtures too.

“Then, as recently as November, I won £2,500 on online roulette. This left me very comfortable financially for living away from home. I felt like I couldn’t lose after that.

“I then deposited and lost close to £1,000 in one online roulette session about two weeks after this in about 15 to 20 minutes.

“Feeling ashamed and depressed I promised myself I’d never gamble again.

“This wasn’t to be the case. I then ended up losing around £750 in the casino a week ago.

“The depression and self-loathing I felt after this was unbearable and I have decided for good this has to stop. I’ve been completely obsessed with gambling, using it as an excuse to neglect my studies.”

Carl has hidden his gambling addiction from his family and friends because he feels ashamed but hopes others will read his story.