Gambling is a popular pastime in most parts of the world, and Sweden is no exception. On average, Swedes spend one percent of their disposable income on games of chance. This amount is smaller than what Australians or British do, but it still shows a clear interest in the industry.
According to one estimate, at least 66% of people gamble once a year in the country. Not only that, but Sweden is also employing some 10,000 in the gambling industry, working at casinos, suppliers, business solution companies, and others.
The Swedish gambling market for the second quarter of 2021 was estimated at SEK 65 billion or $780 million. This marked an increase from the first quarter and indicated that the industry has been able to operate safely in the conditions of a global pandemic. The market continues to grow and offers better conditions for its players, the country’s tax system, and businesses that currently hold licenses in the country. There are still changes afoot to the regulatory framework, but they are designed to boost the player experience.
Licensing the Gambling Market in Sweden and Unlocking Games
Clearly, Swedes have an interest in gambling as a suitable pastime, and that has made Sweden one of the most popular gambling destinations, even if it’s still one of the most heavily regulated markets. The country introduced regulated online gaming or iGaming as the term is popular, on January 1, 2019. This set the first true experience Swedes had with the regulated online market and allowed them to explore their most popular games.
Swedes are avid gamblers, but the exact numbers are not still known as to what games are preferred. Before iGaming was legalized, many Swedes loved to play bingo, but this has now been somewhat replaced by the introduction of other viable products, and not least roulette, blackjack, and poker, along with slots, the most popular of which is Book of Dead.
Naturally, there are some downsides of the mass adoption of gambling, and Spelinspektionen, the Swedish Gaming Authority, and lawmakers have been actively trying to assess the societal impact gambling has had on the country. For the most part, players have been well protected.
Sweden has been specifically working on several tools to help quantify the information and data about problem gamblers and assist such individuals. One such is the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) which helps understand how far advanced someone is in their addiction and offers recommendations on how to address the issue.
However, one trend has emerged since Sweden legalized its online gambling market. There has been no increased uptake in the number of clinical cases of gambling addiction. This could be attributed to underreporting or the fact that the existing player protection mechanisms have been sufficient in aiding individuals.
Gambling Addiction in Swedes, Prevalence and Early Symptoms
Spelinspektionen has created an exemplary regulatory framework followed up by timely interventions in those cases that required such oversight. The regulator is still working actively to eliminate what it considers to be a serious problem, with an estimated 1.3% of Swedes aged 16-87 have experienced gambling problems.
Based on a study released shortly after the launch of the regulated online gambling market, 64% of all gambling addicts tend to be women, which is an interesting conclusion given that men tend to be more inclined to take risks and develop an addiction. This begs the question of how you spot a problem gambling developing in your fellow Swedes?
Spelinspektionen has conducted several surveys into the matter and published results in September 2021, establishing that there is a clear link between borrowing money and problem gambling. Based on data by the Swedish Gaming Authority, between 10% and 30% of the people who seek help for indebtedness usually have to do with excessive gambling.
Playing above one’s means is expected behavior for a Swede in a country that taxes people considerably more if they pass a certain threshold. In other words, Sweden is a country where moderation is key, whether this is work or one’s personal life. There are other accompanying symptoms of gambling addiction, such as social isolation, failure to meet duties at work, school, or in one’s personal life, and obsessiveness over gambling.
Understanding Gambling Addiction
However, gambling is still a popular pastime, and that is mostly because Swedes do play in moderation and responsibly. Reports of excessive gambling are addressed, of course, but the majority of consumers have been able to balance their hobby. This does not negate the fact that 276,000 people in the country are at risk of developing addiction at some point, but through adequate monitoring, their cases can be helped or prevented.
When Sweden decided to introduce a limit on how much people could gamble during the pandemic, Spelinspektionen issued a public rebuttal of the proposal and argued that such limits would be damaging to the industry rather than helpful to consumers.
Gambling addiction, though, still remains an important aspect of the industry that needs to be understood. One effort to summarise what gambling addiction is and how it impacted the brain was made in 2013. At the time, Scientific American wrote that addiction and gambling effectively “rewire neural circuits in similar ways.”
In other words, people get satisfaction out of gambling money, regardless of the outcome of the game. This experience often creates the basis for developing addiction, where people feel stimulated to chase this feeling much like they would chase to extract pleasure from the activity.
It’s possible to understand why gambling addiction often proves to have such a strong pull over participants. While the condition was first ruled out against as “lack of character,” numeral clinical studies have confirmed that gambling addiction is just like most other forms of addictive processes that go in the brain.
The same chemicals are released, mostly endorphin, that causes happiness. This feeling of elation and satisfaction is seldom rational, and it serves its own end. That is why you see people continuing to bet long after they have depleted their allocated bankroll. Understanding this is an important step in tackling the problem while making sure that players are also able to access the products that they clearly enjoy and do so in a safe and respectable environment.
