Changes in Gambling Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic-A Web Survey Study in Sweden - PubMed (original) (raw)
Changes in Gambling Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic-A Web Survey Study in Sweden
Anders Håkansson. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020.
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed everyday life, and policy makers have raised concerns about possible changes in gambling patterns during the pandemic. This study aimed to examine whether self-reported gambling has increased during the pandemic, and to examine potential correlates of such a change. This general population survey study in Sweden collected self-report data from 2016 web survey members (51 percent men, nine percent moderate-risk/problem gamblers). Correlates of increased gambling and increased gambling specifically due to COVID-19-related cancellation of sports were calculated. Four percent reported an overall gambling increase during the pandemic. The proportion of individuals reporting an increase, compared to individuals reporting a decrease, was markedly higher for online casinos (0.62), online horse betting (0.76) and online lotteries (0.73), and lower for sports betting (0.11). Overall, gambling increases were independently associated with gambling problems and increased alcohol consumption. In the sub-group, where there was an increase in specific gambling types in response to cancelled sports betting events, rates of gambling problems were high. In conclusion, only a minority report increased gambling in response to the pandemic, but this group has markedly higher gambling problems and changes in alcohol consumption, and may represent a sub-group with a particularly high vulnerability. This calls for preventive action in people with higher gambling risks in response to the pandemic.
Keywords: COVID-19; behavioral addiction; crisis; gambling disorder; pandemic; problem gambling.
Conflict of interest statement
The author declares no conflict of interest related to the present paper.
Similar articles
- Psychological Distress and Problem Gambling in Elite Athletes during COVID-19 Restrictions-A Web Survey in Top Leagues of Three Sports during the Pandemic.
Håkansson A, Jönsson C, Kenttä G. Håkansson A, et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Sep 14;17(18):6693. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17186693. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020. PMID: 32937978 Free PMC article. - Gambling During the COVID-19 Crisis - A Cause for Concern.
Håkansson A, Fernández-Aranda F, Menchón JM, Potenza MN, Jiménez-Murcia S. Håkansson A, et al. J Addict Med. 2020 Jul/Aug;14(4):e10-e12. doi: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000000690. J Addict Med. 2020. PMID: 32433365 Free PMC article. - Effects on Gambling Activity From Coronavirus Disease 2019-An Analysis of Revenue-Based Taxation of Online- and Land-Based Gambling Operators During the Pandemic.
Håkansson A. Håkansson A. Front Psychiatry. 2020 Dec 17;11:611939. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.611939. eCollection 2020. Front Psychiatry. 2020. PMID: 33391059 Free PMC article. - Gambling behaviors during COVID-19: a narrative review.
Sachdeva V, Sharma S, Sarangi A. Sachdeva V, et al. J Addict Dis. 2022 Apr-Jun;40(2):208-216. doi: 10.1080/10550887.2021.1971942. Epub 2021 Sep 17. J Addict Dis. 2022. PMID: 34533420 Review. - Mental health outcomes of the CoViD-19 pandemic.
Talevi D, Socci V, Carai M, Carnaghi G, Faleri S, Trebbi E, di Bernardo A, Capelli F, Pacitti F. Talevi D, et al. Riv Psichiatr. 2020 May-Jun;55(3):137-144. doi: 10.1708/3382.33569. Riv Psichiatr. 2020. PMID: 32489190 Review.
Cited by
- "It would Never have Happened Without the Pandemic": Understanding the Lived Experience of Individuals who Increased Their Online Gambling Participation.
Savard AC, Kairouz S, Nadeau-Tremblay J, Brodeur M, Ferland F, French M, Morvannou A, Blanchette-Martin N, Dufour M, VanMourik V, Monson E. Savard AC, et al. J Gambl Stud. 2024 Aug 8. doi: 10.1007/s10899-024-10336-0. Online ahead of print. J Gambl Stud. 2024. PMID: 39115755 - Availability restrictions and mandatory precommitment in land-based gambling: effects on online substitutes and total consumption in longitudinal sales data.
Marionneau V, Selin J, Impinen A, Roukka T. Marionneau V, et al. BMC Public Health. 2024 Mar 14;24(1):809. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-18325-z. BMC Public Health. 2024. PMID: 38486180 Free PMC article. - Is gambling like a virus?: A conceptual framework and proposals based on empirical data for the prevention of gambling addiction.
Chóliz M. Chóliz M. BMC Public Health. 2023 Sep 1;23(1):1686. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-16610-x. BMC Public Health. 2023. PMID: 37658315 Free PMC article. - Motivational interviewing-an evidence-based, collaborative, goal-oriented communication approach in lifestyle medicine: A comprehensive review of the literature.
Almansour M, AlQurmalah SI, Abdul Razack HI. Almansour M, et al. J Taibah Univ Med Sci. 2023 Apr 5;18(5):1170-1178. doi: 10.1016/j.jtumed.2023.03.011. eCollection 2023 Oct. J Taibah Univ Med Sci. 2023. PMID: 37206188 Free PMC article. Review. - Gambling and COVID-19: Swedish national gambling data from a state-owned gambling sports and casino operator.
Balem M, Karlsson A, Widinghoff C, Perrot B, Challet-Bouju G, Håkansson A. Balem M, et al. J Behav Addict. 2023 Mar 30;12(1):230-241. doi: 10.1556/2006.2022.00089. Print 2023 Mar 30. J Behav Addict. 2023. PMID: 36995980 Free PMC article.
References
- Holmes E.A., O’Connor R.C., Perry V.H., Tracey I., Wessely S., Arseneault L., Ballard C., Christensen H., Silver R.C., Everall I., et al. Multidisciplinary research priorities for the COVID-19 pandemic: A call for action for mental health science. Lancet Psychiatry. 2020;7:547–560. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30168-1. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical