Yeah more like a healthy form of gambling with the goal to be simply for enjoyment, passing time and nothing more. Though try putting a hardcore gambler among the bettors and it could easily escalate to a game for real money.
And it will, without a shadow of a doubt they will end up high on cocaine, alcohol and tobacco... not to mention frequent injections with marijuana. But seriously, I've been there and such scenario is very likely to happen. Not even a hardcore gambler is necessary. Those peeps will progress because that's how it all works. Lot's of fun for sure but to a certain point, when stakes became dangerously high or important.
Lets look at it from a different perspective, they gamble with "launch money", it means that somebody is hungry everyday... I cant imagine a profession where hungry employee is a good and effective one... they already harming each other and the company they work for. B4 "to much serious, so little fun", sorry but that's just life.
If I would be their manager, I would ban such activities during work time.