Effects of a National Preventive Intervention Against Potential COVID-19-Related Gambling Problems in Online Gamblers : Self-Report Survey Study
(2022) In JMIR Formative Research 6(3).- Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been suspected to increase gambling problems in the population. Several governments introduced COVID-19-specific interventions early with the aim to prevent gambling problems, but their effects have not been evaluated. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate a Swedish COVID-19-related temporary legislation imposing an automated weekly deposit limit for online casino gambling. Methods: The study was an anonymous survey sent by a state-owned gambling operator to online gamblers (N=619), among whom 54.0% (n=334) were moderate-risk/problem gamblers who reached the weekly limit on online gambling during the summer of 2020. Results: Overall, 60.1% (372/619) were aware of having been limited by the... (More)
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been suspected to increase gambling problems in the population. Several governments introduced COVID-19-specific interventions early with the aim to prevent gambling problems, but their effects have not been evaluated. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate a Swedish COVID-19-related temporary legislation imposing an automated weekly deposit limit for online casino gambling. Methods: The study was an anonymous survey sent by a state-owned gambling operator to online gamblers (N=619), among whom 54.0% (n=334) were moderate-risk/problem gamblers who reached the weekly limit on online gambling during the summer of 2020. Results: Overall, 60.1% (372/619) were aware of having been limited by the COVID-19-related deposit limit, and a minority (145/619, 23.4%) perceived the intervention as fairly bad or very bad. Among those aware of the intervention, 38.7% (144/372) believed the intervention decreased their overall gambling, whereas 7.8% (29/372) believed it rather increased it. However, 82.5% (307/372) reported having gambled at more than one operator after the limit, and the most common gambling type reported to have increased at another operator was online casino (42% among moderate-risk/problem gamblers and 19% among others; P<.001). An increase in gambling following the intervention was associated with being a moderate-risk/problem gambler and having negative attitudes toward the intervention. Conclusions: The weekly deposit limit had relatively high acceptability, but the study highlights the limitations of a single-operator deposit limit, given the high number of gamblers also reporting gambling at other operators and the lower effect in clients with gambling problems.
(Less)
- author
- Hakansson, Anders LU ; Sundvall, Andreas and Lyckberg, Axel
- organization
- publishing date
- 2022-03-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- behavioral addiction, COVID-19, gambling disorder, harm reduction, problem gambling
- in
- JMIR Formative Research
- volume
- 6
- issue
- 3
- article number
- e33066
- publisher
- JMIR Publications Inc.
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:34678751
- scopus:85126428182
- ISSN
- 2561-326X
- DOI
- 10.2196/33066
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 5bbc3491-ce06-40e3-83c5-0c93578fb48a
- date added to LUP
- 2022-05-04 09:37:31
- date last changed
- 2024-07-25 16:45:49
@article{5bbc3491-ce06-40e3-83c5-0c93578fb48a, abstract = {{<p>Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been suspected to increase gambling problems in the population. Several governments introduced COVID-19-specific interventions early with the aim to prevent gambling problems, but their effects have not been evaluated. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate a Swedish COVID-19-related temporary legislation imposing an automated weekly deposit limit for online casino gambling. Methods: The study was an anonymous survey sent by a state-owned gambling operator to online gamblers (N=619), among whom 54.0% (n=334) were moderate-risk/problem gamblers who reached the weekly limit on online gambling during the summer of 2020. Results: Overall, 60.1% (372/619) were aware of having been limited by the COVID-19-related deposit limit, and a minority (145/619, 23.4%) perceived the intervention as fairly bad or very bad. Among those aware of the intervention, 38.7% (144/372) believed the intervention decreased their overall gambling, whereas 7.8% (29/372) believed it rather increased it. However, 82.5% (307/372) reported having gambled at more than one operator after the limit, and the most common gambling type reported to have increased at another operator was online casino (42% among moderate-risk/problem gamblers and 19% among others; P<.001). An increase in gambling following the intervention was associated with being a moderate-risk/problem gambler and having negative attitudes toward the intervention. Conclusions: The weekly deposit limit had relatively high acceptability, but the study highlights the limitations of a single-operator deposit limit, given the high number of gamblers also reporting gambling at other operators and the lower effect in clients with gambling problems.</p>}}, author = {{Hakansson, Anders and Sundvall, Andreas and Lyckberg, Axel}}, issn = {{2561-326X}}, keywords = {{behavioral addiction; COVID-19; gambling disorder; harm reduction; problem gambling}}, language = {{eng}}, month = {{03}}, number = {{3}}, publisher = {{JMIR Publications Inc.}}, series = {{JMIR Formative Research}}, title = {{Effects of a National Preventive Intervention Against Potential COVID-19-Related Gambling Problems in Online Gamblers : Self-Report Survey Study}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/33066}}, doi = {{10.2196/33066}}, volume = {{6}}, year = {{2022}}, }