Gambling-Related Employee Embezzlement: A Study of Swedish Newspaper Reports
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4309/jgi.2016.34.2Abstract
It is well-known that severe problem gambling may lead to economic crime. This study explored a particular type of such criminality: embezzlement committed by problem gamblers in the workplace. The aim was to gain knowledge about the extent of such criminality in Sweden and the sums of money involved. The method used was a media study of newspaper reports, complemented with information about help-seeking problem gamblers obtained in interviews with therapists specializing in problem gambling and with peer counsellors in mutual support societies of problem gamblers. The results showed that gambling-related embezzlement occurs in all branches of the economy where employees have access to money. The sums embezzled can be huge and the crimes sustained over several years. However, this varies across professional categories, with bank managers embezzling larger sums of money than others, and for longer, before being detected. Although Swedish newspapers report on average about one case a month of gambling-related employee embezzlement, the true prevalence is likely to be at least 10 times higher. More efforts should be made to prevent embezzlement and other gambling-related harms in the workplace.
On sait que le jeu problématique grave peut mener à la criminalité économique. Cette étude porte sur un aspect particulier de ce type de criminalité, soit le détournement commis par des joueurs problématiques dans leur milieu de travail. Elle vise à établir l’étendue de cette criminalité en Suède et les sommes d’argent en cause. À cette fin, on a effectué une analyse média des articles de journaux ainsi que des renseignements sur les joueurs problématiques ayant demandé de l’aide recueillis dans des entrevues avec des thérapeutes spécialisés en jeu problématique et avec des pairs-conseillers de groupes de soutien pour les joueurs problématiques. Il a été constaté que le détournement lié au jeu problématique se produit dans tous les secteurs de l’économie où les employés ont accès à l’argent. Les sommes détournées peuvent être considérables et les crimes, se perpétrer sur plusieurs années. La situation varie toutefois selon la catégorie des professions, les directeurs de banque détournant des sommes plus élevées que les autres, et pendant de plus longues périodes, avant d’être découverts. Bien que les journaux suédois ne rapportent en moyenne qu’un cas de détournement par un employé joueur pathologique par mois, cette étude laisse entendre que la prévalence réelle est probablement dix fois plus élevée. Il est conclu que plus d’efforts doivent être faits pour prévenir le détournement et les autres dommages liés au jeu dans le milieu de travail.
Published
Issue
Section
License
Journal Contributors Agreement
The parties intending to be legally bound (the principal author [Author] and the Journal of Gambling Issues [Publisher]), agree as follows:
1. The Author grants exclusively to the Publisher all world-wide rights in this Contribution; including the full copyright therein, the right to publish it as part of the JGI in all forms, languages and media now or hereafter known or developed and including, but not limited to, the right to license subsidiary rights such as granting rights to reprint in anthologies issued by other publishers or to photocopy for classroom use.
2. The Author guarantees that he or she is the sole owner of the Contribution and has full authority to make this agreement; and that the Contribution does not contain any copyright; does not violate any other property rights; does not contain any scandalous, libelous or unlawful matter; does not make any improper invasion of the privacy of another person; and has not been published before, and is not now being considered for publication elsewhere.
If the Contribution has been published previously, the Author guarantees that permission has been obtained, and any fee required has been paid, for publication in the JGI and shall submit proof of such permission and any required credit line to the Publisher with the signed agreement. The Author agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Publisher against any claim or proceeding undertaken on any of the aforementioned grounds.
3. The Author shall allow the Editor of the JGI and the Publisher to make the Contribution conform to the style of presentation, spelling, capitalization, punctuation and usage followed by the JGI. The Author agrees to review and correct the copyedited manuscript and proofs and to return them to the editor by the date set by the Editor. If the Editor has not received them by that time, the Author agrees that production of the JGI in which the Contribution is to be included may proceed without waiting for the Author's approval of the manuscript or the proofs.
4. If the Author wishes to publish this Contribution elsewhere, the Publisher shall grant to the Author, for no fee, a nonexclusive License to republish the Contribution in the same form in any language in a book or other media written or edited by the Author after the issue of the JGI containing the Contribution has been published, subject only to the conditions that a credit line, to be supplied by the Publisher, will be printed in the Author's book: to indicate the first publication of the Contribution in the JGI. The Author shall inform the Publisher 30 days before the Contribution is released in any other form.
5. This agreement shall be construed and interpreted through the laws of the province of Ontario, Canada. This agreement shall be binding upon and operate to the benefit of the parties thereto, their heirs, successors, assigns, and personal representatives. Where the Contribution is the product of more than one person, all of the obligations of the Author hereby created shall be deemed to be the joint and several obligations of all such persons as testified by their signatures.
6. The Author shall receive no payment from the Publisher for use of the Contribution.
7. The Author agrees to reference this article using its full and accurate name: Journal of Gambling Issues.