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Impact of COVID-19 on Online Gambling – A General Population Survey During the Pandemic

Håkansson, Anders LU (2020) In Frontiers in Psychology 11.
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic may have severe impact on mental health, and concerns have been raised about potentially increased online behavior and possibly increased gambling problems, such as in sports bettors at risk of transfer to even riskier forms of gambling during sports lock-down. Given the need for objective data about gambling behavior during the pandemic, the present analysis, from a project assessing online gambling in Sweden, aimed to study past-30-day gambling patterns in online gamblers in Sweden. The study, carried out in May, 2020, during the pandemic and its restrictions on society, included past-year online gamblers (N = 997). Past-30-day gambling for several gambling types was lower compared to a previous study in online... (More)
The COVID-19 pandemic may have severe impact on mental health, and concerns have been raised about potentially increased online behavior and possibly increased gambling problems, such as in sports bettors at risk of transfer to even riskier forms of gambling during sports lock-down. Given the need for objective data about gambling behavior during the pandemic, the present analysis, from a project assessing online gambling in Sweden, aimed to study past-30-day gambling patterns in online gamblers in Sweden. The study, carried out in May, 2020, during the pandemic and its restrictions on society, included past-year online gamblers (N = 997). Past-30-day gambling for several gambling types was lower compared to a previous study in online gamblers in the same setting, while online non-sports gambling remained at high levels. Those reporting sports betting even during a period with decreased sports betting occasions proved to have markedly higher gambling problems. COVID-19 may alter gambling behaviors, and online gamblers who maintain or initiate gambling types theoretically reduced by the crisis may represent a group at particular risk. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
behavioral addiction, COVID-19, gambling disorder, online gambling, problem gambling, sports betting
in
Frontiers in Psychology
volume
11
article number
568543
publisher
Frontiers Media S. A.
external identifiers
  • pmid:33101137
  • scopus:85092293928
ISSN
1664-1078
DOI
10.3389/fpsyg.2020.568543
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
60601768-a1f0-4f72-9f0b-ed68034c4247
date added to LUP
2020-10-27 14:37:05
date last changed
2024-03-20 17:29:25
@article{60601768-a1f0-4f72-9f0b-ed68034c4247,
  abstract     = {{The COVID-19 pandemic may have severe impact on mental health, and concerns have been raised about potentially increased online behavior and possibly increased gambling problems, such as in sports bettors at risk of transfer to even riskier forms of gambling during sports lock-down. Given the need for objective data about gambling behavior during the pandemic, the present analysis, from a project assessing online gambling in Sweden, aimed to study past-30-day gambling patterns in online gamblers in Sweden. The study, carried out in May, 2020, during the pandemic and its restrictions on society, included past-year online gamblers (N = 997). Past-30-day gambling for several gambling types was lower compared to a previous study in online gamblers in the same setting, while online non-sports gambling remained at high levels. Those reporting sports betting even during a period with decreased sports betting occasions proved to have markedly higher gambling problems. COVID-19 may alter gambling behaviors, and online gamblers who maintain or initiate gambling types theoretically reduced by the crisis may represent a group at particular risk.}},
  author       = {{Håkansson, Anders}},
  issn         = {{1664-1078}},
  keywords     = {{behavioral addiction; COVID-19; gambling disorder; online gambling; problem gambling; sports betting}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{09}},
  publisher    = {{Frontiers Media S. A.}},
  series       = {{Frontiers in Psychology}},
  title        = {{Impact of COVID-19 on Online Gambling – A General Population Survey During the Pandemic}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.568543}},
  doi          = {{10.3389/fpsyg.2020.568543}},
  volume       = {{11}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}