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One in three Brits waste 126 working hours gaming each year, study reveals
British employees are wasting hundreds of contracted work hours a year using company computers and phones for personal activities, according to a new survey from ExpressVPN. The survey, conducted by the consumer privacy and security company, found that some people are spending only 32% of annual contracted hours on work tasks.
With a steep rise in hybrid and home working in recent years, many companies have provided employees with work devices to use in the comfort of their own homes, including work laptops, desktops, phones, cameras, and microphones.
ExpressVPN’s study polled 2,000 hybrid and remote workers across the UK and US to find out how they’re using work devices for personal tasks. The research found that over half of UK workers admitted to using their work computer to check personal emails (62%), carry out general personal activities, such as reading the news or looking things up online, (58%), and to shop online (52%).
However, it seems some activities were less innocuous. In fact, 24% of workers admit to having spent 97 working hours per year looking at porn on a work device, and 96 hours accessing the dark web.
Overall, men were more guilty of using work devices for personal tasks than women. Out of all the personal tasks, checking personal emails came out on top, with men spending more time doing this at 189 working hours per year compared to women at 115 hours. Men also spent more time watching porn at 140 working hours per year compared to women at 68 hours.
Employees aren’t getting away with this, though. The survey showed that 78% of employees who had admitted to using their work computer to browse the dark web had been approached by their employer about it. Further, 77% had been approached regarding buying crypto and 73% were approached about online gambling.
The most common consequences for these employees was a verbal warning, with 14% receiving one from their employer. 13% of workers received training on the appropriate use of work devices after being caught out.
“It’s concerning how much time Brits are spending on personal activities during working hours, especially as they are using their work devices for these tasks. This isn’t just about productivity, it can adversely affect your company’s privacy and security risk levels,” commented Lauren Hendry Parsons, Privacy Advocate, ExpressVPN.
“Short of locking down internet access on all work devices or resorting to unwelcome, demoralizing surveillance, it’s unrealistic to stop employees from using work devices for personal activities. Instead, business leaders need to ensure they are equipping employees with a solid security education, helping them to understand the risks they would be introducing and how to avoid things like phishing attacks. Employees must understand that their usage of company devices will be visible in some capacity to the company, so it’s certainly worth thinking twice before spending a little personal time with a work device.”
Looking beyond how employees are using their work devices, the survey also revealed that 74% of senior management working in the UK expect employees to be working outside of their working hours. This pressure to consistently work overtime may be part of the reason why so many employees are using their work equipment for personal activities.
The survey also looked at the privacy and security precautions employers had in place to ensure safety online. 90% of businesses have at least one form of IT security in place for remote workers-with VPNs (33%), virus protection (32%) and firewalls (30%) being the most common. 28% of businesses also provided an IT safety guide to employees.
Methodology
This survey was carried out by CensusWide across the UK and the US in February 2023, with a total of 2000 respondents. In each country, 1000 hybrid or remote employees were surveyed.
SOFTSWISS has successfully wrapped up its participation in SiGMA Europe 2024. This final major event of the year highlighted the achievements and progress of the iGaming industry over the past months. With a dynamic presence and the award-winning concept ‘Grab Success in iGaming’, SOFTSWISS made a lasting impact over the three action-packed days of the conference.
The SOFTSWISS booth became a nexus for clients, partners, and industry professionals, sparking new connections and fueling discussions on the latest trends. Among the highlights was the unveiling of the iGaming Trends Report 2025, offering a forward-looking analysis of the industry’s trajectory. Positioned as the ‘mother of all conferences’, SiGMA Europe proved the ideal stage for the report’s launch, with all 27,000 attendees able to grant complimentary access to this vital resource.
“iGaming is growing at a rapid pace, and for many, the main challenge is to keep up with this growth. SOFTSWISS takes a much broader view in this regard: it is important for us to understand where iGaming is heading and anticipate trends in order to strengthen our leadership positions,” said Vitali Matsukevich, COO at SOFTSWISS.
Before the expo officially opened, SOFTSWISS was honoured as the Best Platform Provider at the SiGMA Europe Awards 2024. This accolade is a testament to the company’s commitment to delivering robust, innovative technology solutions that empower iGaming operators worldwide.
One of the event’s most highly anticipated discussions, “How to Choose a Secure and Safe Crypto Casino,” featured Vitali Matsukevich among its expert panellists. The session drew a full house, reflecting the high interest in the future of crypto casinos amidst the evolving global economic and political landscape.
During the discussion, Matsukevich shared his deep knowledge and insights on leveraging blockchain technology to ensure smarter, safer choices for consumers in the crypto casino space. His expertise underscored SOFTSWISS’ position at the forefront of innovation in this fast-growing market segment.
SiGMA Europe 2024 provided a platform not only to showcase SOFTSWISS’ accomplishments but also to reaffirm its role as an industry leader. Already preparing for the next major event, ICE Barcelona 2025 in January, SOFTSWISS will once again present its cutting-edge tools and insights to operators worldwide.
About SOFTSWISS
SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 23,500 casino games, the Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook software and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS revolutionised the industry by introducing the world’s first Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.
Casino Guru, the leading online casino database and a champion of informed play in the gambling industry, continues to build upon its responsible gambling partnership with Mindway AI, a prominent RG tech and solutions provider focusing on offering actionable real-time insight into consumer gambling behavior, by launching the revised campaign focused on the Gamalyze self-assessment game, in time for Safer Gambling Week 2024 (SGW24).
The game, a reinvention of the self-test, is a card game that allows players to analyze their own gambling habits through engaging and anonymous play. Thanks to a dedicated widget that welcomes players on the home page, the game is available directly on Casino Guru’s website and is also featured as “Game of the Week.”
To help further improve this year’s reach, Casino Guru has teamed up with several casino partners, including CasinoFriday, Shotz, Roman Casino, giving players the opportunity to explore the game while gaining deeper insights into their own gambling habits.
Casino Guru has reached out to subscribers with additional details about the campaign, aiming to significantly expand its impact and raise awareness among a larger audience.
Previous campaign iterations received 1,800 gameplays each, and Casino Guru is now determined to improve on this milestone.
Šimon Vincze, Casino Guru’s Head of Sustainable & Safer Gambling, shared the following: “I am excited about this year’s upgrade to the campaign and can’t wait to see the results. Together with Niamh from Mindway AI, we were looking for ways to attract more people to play the game and learn more about the risks involved as a natural part of their gambling experience. The upgrades we introduced are promising, and we are confident we can increase the numbers significantly.”
Once the self-test game is completed, Mindway AI provides players with detailed feedback on their gameplay, and analyze certain behavioral markers, such as how players respond to rewards and losses, the frequency of their wins and how risky their gambling behavior is.
Ultimately, the assessment seeks to improve people’s understanding of their own risk-taking behavior, and what they can learn from it. Both companies are dedicated to bringing the concept of safer gambling to the forefront of players’ awareness, and this innovative collaboration allows them to achieve this goal in a creative and enjoyable manner.
To access the widget and test your gambling style, head over to Casino Guru’s home page and click on the widget in the upper right corner of the screen, or check the “Game of the Week,” which will feature Gamalyze throughout SGW24.
Casino Guru and Mindway AI first introduced the campaign several years ago, boosting its reach in a player-centric way in time for SGW24.
Safer Gambling Week commentary
As a company focused on generating high-quality, responsible gambling traffic to our operator partner sites, safer gambling is a daily consideration for QiH Group. We recognise Safer Gambling Week as a valuable opportunity to stay engaged with the broader industry conversations and to hear from the community on responsible gambling.
As affiliates are often an initial touchpoint for customers, our priority is maintaining a safe, compliant environment that benefits our partners and, ultimately, their customers.
We believe in supporting a balanced approach where gambling remains what it should be: safe, enjoyable entertainment.
– Andrew Lee, COO, QiH Group
Being a firm of licensing solicitors, one of our principal roles is helping our clients stay compliant with the Licensing Conditions and Codes of Practice, and the licensing objectives, so responsible gambling is something we focus on every day for clients.
It is important that we raise awareness of safer gambling and signpost the professional help and support services that are available to those who need it – ensuring the millions of people who enjoy gambling responsibly continue to do so in a safe environment.
– Nick Arron, Lead Solicitor, Poppleston Allen
SOFTSWISS Wraps Up SiGMA Europe 2024 with Key Achievements
Casino Guru and Mindway AI advance RG self-test game in time for SGW24
Expert comment: Safer Gambling Week 2024
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