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Effects of a National Preventive Intervention Against Potential COVID-19-Related Gambling Problems in Online Gamblers : Self-Report Survey Study

Hakansson, Anders LU ; Sundvall, Andreas and Lyckberg, Axel (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.

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author
; and
organization
publishing date
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
  • scopus:85126428182
  • pmid:34678751
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
2024-04-18 07:13:52
@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&lt;.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}},
}