Effects of a National Preventive Intervention Against Potential COVID-19–Related Gambling Problems in Online Gamblers: Self-Report Survey Study
BackgroundThe 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...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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JMIR Publications
2022-03-01
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| Series: | JMIR Formative Research |
| Online Access: | https://formative.jmir.org/2022/3/e33066 |
| _version_ | 1797735298007826432 |
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| author | Anders Håkansson Andreas Sundvall Axel Lyckberg |
| author_facet | Anders Håkansson Andreas Sundvall Axel Lyckberg |
| author_sort | Anders Håkansson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
BackgroundThe 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.
ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate a Swedish COVID-19–related temporary legislation imposing an automated weekly deposit limit for online casino gambling.
MethodsThe 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.
ResultsOverall, 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.
ConclusionsThe 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:56:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e79becc4e8ed4f0ca29e2327551b8578 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2561-326X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:56:59Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | JMIR Formative Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-e79becc4e8ed4f0ca29e2327551b85782023-08-28T21:01:54ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Formative Research2561-326X2022-03-0163e3306610.2196/33066Effects of a National Preventive Intervention Against Potential COVID-19–Related Gambling Problems in Online Gamblers: Self-Report Survey StudyAnders Håkanssonhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5800-8975Andreas Sundvallhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-2216-7664Axel Lyckberghttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3604-8925 BackgroundThe 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. ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate a Swedish COVID-19–related temporary legislation imposing an automated weekly deposit limit for online casino gambling. MethodsThe 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. ResultsOverall, 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. ConclusionsThe 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.https://formative.jmir.org/2022/3/e33066 |
| spellingShingle | Anders Håkansson Andreas Sundvall Axel Lyckberg Effects of a National Preventive Intervention Against Potential COVID-19–Related Gambling Problems in Online Gamblers: Self-Report Survey Study JMIR Formative Research |
| title | Effects of a National Preventive Intervention Against Potential COVID-19–Related Gambling Problems in Online Gamblers: Self-Report Survey Study |
| title_full | Effects of a National Preventive Intervention Against Potential COVID-19–Related Gambling Problems in Online Gamblers: Self-Report Survey Study |
| title_fullStr | Effects of a National Preventive Intervention Against Potential COVID-19–Related Gambling Problems in Online Gamblers: Self-Report Survey Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of a National Preventive Intervention Against Potential COVID-19–Related Gambling Problems in Online Gamblers: Self-Report Survey Study |
| title_short | Effects of a National Preventive Intervention Against Potential COVID-19–Related Gambling Problems in Online Gamblers: Self-Report Survey Study |
| title_sort | effects of a national preventive intervention against potential covid 19 related gambling problems in online gamblers self report survey study |
| url | https://formative.jmir.org/2022/3/e33066 |
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