Problem gambling can come up when you least expect it. A perfect combination of stressors, genetic predispositions, lifestyle choices, and other factors can trigger a response where problem gamblers are made.
However, with the proliferation of legal sports betting, online gambling sites — like online sportsbooks — and more socially acceptable ways to indulge, are certain occupations with a higher inclination to gamble to the extremes? Is it the profession itself that causes people to turn to gambling as a release, or do these jobs attract a particular personality type that is more prone to gambling problems?
Manual Labor vs. Office Jobs
Studies from around the world have dove into whether certain occupations are more at risk for problem gambling than others. Across multiple studies, some commonalities have been found. While we’ve explored the relationship between stock trading and gambling — and its impact on those working in the financial sector, such as traders, another compelling finding has surfaced: Manual labor jobs without a fixed location with a high male population have shown to be more prone to problem gambling.
Isolating the gender variable, specific job types also became increasingly common in such studies. These jobs can include construction, vehicle drivers, and people that engage in monotonous indoor work. With manual labor-based occupations, workers have shown a higher inclination towards problem gambling and their total income. People with jobs with a steady singular workplace make enough money and don’t have an existing history of gambling problems have shown less likely to develop a gambling problem.
While specific stressors might trigger problem gambling in office workers, the nature of the work itself might not have as much impact. With the general steadiness of the daily routine, coupled with higher salaries, some of the financial stressors that can trigger a gambling problem aren’t as prevalent. However, other factors may contribute to people in an office setting participating in gambling activities.
Mobile Jobs Leading to More Stress — and Problem Gambling
While manual labor without a set job site can lead to significant rises in problem gambling, people in mobile fields can also find themselves at a higher risk of developing a problem. With truck drivers, taxi drivers, bus drivers, and even rideshare drivers always on the move, they often find themselves in different areas every day.
Whether it’s the highly mobile nature of the work or a mix of sociodemographic, cultural, environmental, or genetic factors, mobile-based workers are more prone to problem gambling. With these types of careers leaving little room to climb up the proverbial social ladder, gambling offers them one of the few seemingly viable opportunities to make a better life for themselves. Whether they have the odds stacked against them, they may feel that gambling offers them the only way to better supplement their incomes.
How to Navigate Problem Gambling in Specific Occupations
Whether it is truck drivers participating in sports gambling or a construction worker trying to make ends meet, certain occupations have a greater risk of developing a gambling problem than others. However, pinpointing why specific jobs are at higher risk can prove challenging to navigate. At any rate, it’s critical to know how to handle the risk of problem gambling in the workplace.
With studies showing that a link exists between certain occupations and an increased chance of developing a gambling problem, having the resources available to begin your road to recovery becomes vital. We have the help you need to identify and treat your gambling problem and start living your best life. Whether you or a loved one has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER today.