More workers turn to gambling sites in February

2007-03-21 16:49:10

Bored office workers looking for a distraction from the daily grind tried to turn to gambling sites in record numbers this February, it has been announced.

Research from internet security provider ScanSafe, based on websites filtered out during the first month of the year, found that blocks to gambling sites were up by a record 22 per cent compared with January.

Analysts at ScanSafe put the increase in part down to a heightened interest in online gambling in the run up to the SuperBowl, with requests for gambling sites up by 77 per cent in the seven days preceding the big game.

But officials also cautioned over excessive usage at work, saying that such practices were potentially damaging.

"Beyond the negative impact on productivity, uncontrolled use of the Web can have serious and costly consequences for businesses of all sizes including exposure to legal liability, disclosure of confidential information, breaches of compliance requirements and unnecessary bandwidth consumption," cautioned ScanSafe's vice president of product strategy Dan Nadir.

Last month it was revealed that almost a third of UK workers had confessed to gambling online during office hours.


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