45% of gambling industry employees want to get vaccinated
Return to normality. When and how.
Survey commissioned by Romanian Bookmakers, Rombet and Romslot reveals industry perception and fears.
Ayear after the establishment of a state of emergency against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the restriction of a significant part of daily activities, the most potent associations representing the Romanian Gambling Industry – Romanian Bookmakers, Rombet, and Romslot, together with IRES, conducted an opinion poll among the 45,000 employees in the sector. The industry’s single approach was to assess industry employees’ awareness and attitudes regarding the ANTI-COVID-19 vaccination campaign, their willingness to vaccinate, and the determination of how the pandemic affected their working and personal lives.
With the industry closed three times and technological unemployment turned from an unknown term into a painful, self-experienced experience, more than 6 out of 10 employees in this industry would vaccinate against COVID-19 if the employer recommended vaccination. The data show that there is a real need for information on COVID-19 vaccines among employees in the gambling industry. The primary information of interest to this population category is related to how vaccines have been tested (clinical studies), the degree of incidence and severity of adverse effects, their effectiveness, the duration of immunization.
The IRES survey shows that, in general, the attitude towards vaccination is positive. 54% of the gambling industry employees have a favorable opinion about available vaccines, 15% remain skeptical about them, and 1 in 3 have neither pro nor anti-vaccine opinions. 96% of study participants were vaccinated at least once, 71% were with compulsory vaccines alone.
The study’s results paid for by Romanian Bookmakers, Rombet, and Romslot show that the bans during the pandemic majorly affected employees in the gambling industry, with 8 out of 10 employees saying they were affected in the past year. 91% said they were affected, said they were technically unemployed, and 87% said their incomes had been reduced. Failure to travel, changing working conditions, and inability to work full time are other reasons cited by employees as stressors.
45% of gambling industry employees want to get vaccinated
Intention to vaccinate
The intention to vaccinate in the context of the availability of the vaccine against COVID-19 is found in 45% of employees in the gambling industry, while 33% are reluctant to vaccinate, and 22% had not decided by the time of the survey. Young people and those without higher education are more reluctant to vaccinate than those over 40 or with higher education.
The employer’s role
By their own example, those who do not intend to be vaccinated could be persuaded in the highest proportion by family members, employers, and colleagues. In fact, 62% of the gambling industry employees would be immunized if the employer recommended vaccination to make the industry safer. Nearly two-thirds of employees in sports betting agencies and slot machines would be willing to receive more information about vaccination against COVID-19 from employers!
“The study reveals that employers are considered sources of information and a vector of influence for employees. The information provided by employers, their own example supplied by colleagues and employers can influence the perception, attitude, and behavior of employees so that the vaccination option is an appropriate and informed decision,” says Dan Jurcan, director of IRES Research.
The study PERCEPTIONS, ATTITUDES, AND BEHAVIORS OF THE GAMBLING INDUSTRIES EMPLOYEES REGARDING THE PROCESS OF VACCINATION AGAINST COVID-19 was conducted between March 5 and 9, 2021, on a sample of 3,963 employees in the slot-machine gaming industry.
