AUTHOR=Håkansson Anders , Widinghoff Carolina 

TITLE=Gambling Despite Nationwide Self-Exclusion–A Survey in Online Gamblers in Sweden

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.599967

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2020.599967

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> Voluntary self-exclusion is a well-known harm reduction intervention in problem gambling, although primarily in operator-specific or venue-based systems. A nationwide overall self-exclusion system (“<italic>Spelpaus”</italic>) for all licensed gambling was introduced in Sweden in 2019. However, gambling in overseas companies despite national exclusion may be a concern in online gamblers. The present web survey study aimed to study self-reported self-exclusion and gambling despite exclusion in a nationwide multi-operator land-based/online exclusion system.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> Web survey in web panel members of a market survey company, carried out in May, 2020 (co-occurring with the COVID-19 pandemic). Past-year online gamblers (<italic>n</italic> = 997) answered questions about gambling patterns, gambling problems, psychological distress, self-exclusion since “<italic>Spelpaus”</italic> introduction, and gambling despite self-exclusion.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Seven percent reported ever self-excluded at <italic>Spelpaus</italic>, and this was associated with younger age, female gender, gambling problems, and chance-based games and online poker. In logistic regression, <italic>Spelpaus</italic> remained strongly associated with past-year online casino gambling, gambling problems, and absence of past-year sports betting. Among those having self-excluded, 38 percent reported gambling despite self-exclusion, most commonly online casino.</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> In online gamblers in a setting with a nationwide self-exclusion system, using this was associated with past-year online casino gambling and gambling problems. Gambling despite self-exclusion appears to be common, and more commonly involves online casino. Stakeholders should aim to increase rates of self-exclusion in high-risk online gamblers, both during and beyond the COVID-19 situation in which the study was carried out. Also, policy makers should use gambling regulation in order to decrease the risk of breaching self-exclusion online, such as through the prohibition of non-registered gambling operators. Further research should focus on in-depth analysis of the reasons for gamblers to enroll or not enroll in multi-operator self-exclusion.</p>