2011-01-21
A new report from the Swedish National Institute of Public Health shows that problem gambling is unevenly distributed in the Swedish population. Young people and those economically vulnerable have high proportions of problem gamblers, fewer people play for more money and mental disorders are more common among people with gambling problems compared to the rest of the population.
The Swedish National Institute of Public Health is implementing a longitudinal population survey on gambling and health. By the end of 2009 the first results from the study were presented and the release of the report "Gambling and problem gambling in Sweden 2008/2009" gives a more complete picture of gambling and problem gambling.
The results show that in the Swedish population two percent have a gambling problem, and another five percent are at risk for developing a gambling problem. In general, the proportion of problem gamblers is greater among men, but in the age group 65 to 84 years, the proportion of problem gamblers is higher among women.
- In addition, the proportion of problem gamblers among men decrease with age while it increases with age for women”, says Ulla Romild, Public Health Planning Officer and responsible for the analyses in the study.
During the past decade, there has been a decline in the proportion of the population that gamble for money, from 88 to 70 percent. The total amount of money spent on gambling is however relatively stable in Sweden which suggests that fewer gamblers spend more money on gambling than before.
To single out one form of gambling as the cause of problem gambling is not really possible as many gamblers are involved in many different forms of gambling. However, there are statistically significant correlations between problem gambling and how often a person is gambling which can be seen for those who play poker, on slot machines or casino games. The correlation is also present for bingo, sports betting and for those who play in live television events.
The results also show that gambling is unevenly distributed in the population. Those with intermediate level of education and / or an income in the middle range, gamble more than those with less education and /or low incomes. It is also six times more common with poor mental health among problem gamblers, in comparison with the population in general.
There are a high proportion of problem gamblers among youths despite the fact that almost the whole gaming market in Sweden has an age limit of 18 for gambling. Among 16 to17 year olds, the proportion of problem gamblers is almost twice as high compared to the rest of the population. One tenth of men aged 18 to 24 years are problem gamblers, a proportion that has doubled over the past decade.
SWELOGS (Swedish Longitudinal Gambling Study) is a longitudinal research study on gambling and health in Sweden led and financed by the National Institute of Public Health. The report "Gambling and problem gambling in Sweden 2008/2009" is based on interviews with more than 8,000 people aged 16 to 84 years.
updated Friday, January 21, 2011
