Lockdown exacerbates gambling addiction

When casinos were temporarily closed due to Covid-19 and other gambling services were also available on a limited basis, providers at the same time noticeably stepped up their advertising campaign for the new online services. As international studies suggest, many new gamblers are likely to have taken up online gambling as a result.

Especially younger people affected

Players of online gambling games have an above-average risk of problem gambling behavior, writes the organization Sucht Schweiz. The reasons are obvious: The offers are permanently available, the connection to real money is lost and social control is missing. A new analysis by GREA (Groupement romand des addictions) and Addiction Switzerland shows that an above-average number of younger people, people with a low income or a lower level of education show problem gambling behavior. Nadia Rimann, program manager of Games without Addiction, explains: "They are particularly susceptible to the lure of quick and big wins - and advertising appeals to them specifically. But we also know that gambling addiction occurs in all social groups." 

Problem gamblers pay half of all stakes

In addition, certain types of gambling are particularly risky: players of online casinos, sports betting and financial market betting show an above-average risk. In the case of lotteries and scratch cards, the proportion of problem gamblers is significantly lower. However, since they are very widespread, their number should not be underestimated. According to Sucht Schweiz, it is remarkable that the approximately ten percent of problem gamblers are responsible for half of all gambling stakes. In Switzerland, around 192,000 people would show such problem gambling behavior. A small proportion of these are considered to be addicted to gambling - often with devastating consequences: In addition to gambling debts, physical and psychological complaints, a gambling addiction often has serious consequences for family or professional life, as the organization points out.

Example free games: Promoted by digitization

According to Sucht Schweiz, the financial problem is not limited to online gambling. For example, the market for "free-to-play" video games on smartphones is growing rapidly. In "pay-to-win" games, a specific form of free-to-play games, purchases can be made, for example, to acquire playful advantages. Nadia Rimann sees many parallels in this development: "Our research shows that, regardless of the market, the mechanisms of the games lead to similar behavior. So it's not surprising that in free-to-play games, too, a small proportion of gamers are grabbing the big share of the pie: around 10% of gamers are responsible for over 60% of spending, according to the study."

 Source: Addiction Switzerland

 Cantons respond with campaign

Also in response to the developments surrounding Covid-19, the intercantonal program "Playing without Addiction", commissioned by 16 German-speaking Swiss cantons and the Principality of Liechtenstein, is today launching an awareness campaign focusing on online gambling. Martina Gadient (Head of the Addiction Department of the Canton of St.Gallen) commented: "In the case of many gamblers, it is evident that they first came into contact with gambling services at a young age. For effective prevention, we therefore also deliberately want to target a younger audience."

For affected persons and relatives via www.sos-spielsucht.ch a free and anonymous counseling service is available.