Spelproblemen increases – women hardest hit

the Gambling for money has gained a lot of attention in the media lately, including the then civil and konsumentminister Ardalan Shekarabi (S) rejected the industry's proposal for guidelines for spelreklam and threatened with stricter legislation.

Now presents Folkhälsomyndigheten a survey showing that the number of swedes with such serious gambling problem that they can be classed as gambling has increased by 45% in the years 2015-2018, from about 31.000 to 45.000 people.

– Trends of this kind are always unpleasant. It shows that something is happening that we should try to find a way to restrict and change, " says Ulla Romild,investigators at Folkhälsomyndigheten and the who led the study.

but Ulla Romild estimates that around 30,000 children live in families where at least one parent has a gambling problem.

" a Gambling problem gets very far-reaching impact mental illnesses and problems of suicide, and that also affects family and relatives. We don't know what it costs for the society, but it is quite big money, " says Romild.

the Increase is greatest among women, who now constitute 64 per cent of the group, compared with 18 percent in a similar survey from 2015. Ulla Romild says that one explanation for the shift may be that the bookmakers have targeted the female audience, but also that more women than before are playing on the nätkasinon.

– the Accessibility of games has increased and they are now available in your mobile phone. Just the availability is the major risk factor for developing gambling problems, says Romild.

, a licensed psychologist who researches addiction at the Karolinska institute in Stockholm, parts of the image to nätkasinon can explain the increase of gambling problems among women.

"In my research, I can see that the women were in very to a large extent playing at online casinos, and that this group has more problems than those who engaged in other forms of gambling," says Wall.

this form of gambling is particularly risky because of their design.

" It takes just a few seconds from that one bet money to any gain or loss, compared with the lottery where it may take a whole week. It opens to play a lot in a short time, and it is also common that people with a gambling addiction tries to win back their money, " he says.

affirms, in accordance with Ardalan Shekarabi, the picture that the government previously had of the situation, which was the basis for the regulation of the gaming market and the new spellag, which took effect at the end of the year.

– But there is still a problematic issue remains. What I see as the big risk for spelkonsumenterna is spelreklamen, that is why we put a lot of energy to tighten the rules, " he said.

According to the Shekarabi, the government will ”in the near future” to present the future of the process in question.

– In this mode, I have not ruled out any options, I have met representatives of the Italian government and looked at the total ban on spelreklam. It is our sistahandsalternativ, says Shekarabi.