%0 Journal Article
%@ 2561-326X
%I JMIR Publications
%V 6
%N 3
%P e33066
%T Effects of a National Preventive Intervention Against Potential COVID-19–Related Gambling Problems in Online Gamblers: Self-Report Survey Study
%A Håkansson,Anders
%A Sundvall,Andreas
%A Lyckberg,Axel
%+ Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Baravägen 1, Lund, 22100, Sweden, 46 46175596, anders_c.hakansson@med.lu.se
%K gambling disorder
%K problem gambling
%K COVID-19
%K harm reduction
%K behavioral addiction
%D 2022
%7 9.3.2022
%9 Original Paper
%J JMIR Form Res
%G English
%X 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. 
%M 34678751
%R 10.2196/33066
%U https://formative.jmir.org/2022/3/e33066
%U https://doi.org/10.2196/33066
%U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34678751