SWELOGS – a population study on Gambling and Health, Ulla Romild & Jessika Svensson, Swedish National Institute of Public Health, Parallel 4, NFHK2011 Turku, Finland

1. SWELOGS – a population study on
Gambling and Health
Ulla Romild & Jessika Svensson
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

2. The Swedish National Institute
of Public Health
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

3. National aim for the public
health policy
”The overarching aim of
Sweden’s national public
health policy is to create
social conditions that will
ensure good health, on equal
terms for the entire
population”
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

4. Gambling prevention in Sweden
• The Problem Gambling Unit has been
placed at the Swedish National
Institute of Public Health (SNIPH)
since 1999
• Has been part of the eleven public
health objectives since then
• Stands for the bulk of gambling
research, treatment and prevention in
Sweden
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

5. Population studies covering
gambling in Sweden
• Swedish Gambling Study (SWEGS) 1997/98
with follow up
• National Survey of Public Health (Health on
Equal Terms 2004-
• Swedish Longitudinal Gambling Study
(SWELOGS) 2008-2014
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

6. Purposes of SWELOGS
• to measure the prevalence and incidence of problem
gambling with comparability to other jurisdictions
• to describe problem gambling in relation to changes
in gambling behaviour and environment
• to identify relevant target groups for preventive
measures
• to analyse health related, social and economic
consequences
• to identify risk and protective factors
• develop an improved PG-instrument which is
sensitive also to mild forms of problem gambling
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

7. Sampling and methods for data
collection
• The sample consists of 15 000 individuals, aged 16-84,
representative for the population
• Sample stratification based on predicted probabilities for
having gambling problems, age and gender
• Data collection, phase I
– Telephone interviews from October 2008 until April 2009
– Questionnaires sent by post to those not reached by
telephone until August 2009
• Around 8 300, or 63 percent, responded
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

8. Questionnaire
• Gambling (lifetime and past 12 months)
• Gambling problems (SOGS, PGSI, FORS) and
gambling related questions
• Computer gaming
• Health, demografics, socio-economy
+ register variables from Statistics Sweden
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

9. Male and female gambling in
different gambling forms
60% 56
53
40%
32
28 27
24
20
20% 17
13 12 13
9 8 9
7
4 3 3 4 4
0%
Lottery Lotto Sports Horses Poker Casino games Vegas TV-shows Bingo Internet
(machines)
Men (n=4091) Women (n=4076)
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

10. Gambling in Sweden
• 70 percent of the population aged 16-84 has gambled in
the past 12 months, 44 percent gamble regularly
• Minors gamble in all forms including gambling machines
• Gambling on casino games, poker and sports are more
frequent among men than women
• Elderly people, aged 65-84, gamble on lotteries, lotto
and horses more often than young people
• A third of those who gambled during the past 12 months
only gambled in one form
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

11. Gambling problems in Sweden
Proportion in Estimated number in the
Type of gambler the sample population aged 16-84
No gambling problem 0 points 92.4% 6 742 900
Low risk 1-2 points 5.4% 393 700
Moderate risk 3-7 points 1.9% 140 100
Problem gambling 8+ points 0.3% 23 700
Relatives (among them children) 260000 (76000)
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

12. Gambling problems in Sweden
Proportion in Estimated number in the
Type of gambler the sample population aged 16-84
No gambling problem 0 points 92.4% 6 742 900
Low risk 1-2 points 5.4% 393 700
Gambling Problems 3-8 points 2.2% 163 800
Relatives (among them children) 260 000 (76 000)
The problems for every seventh person with gambling problems are
severe enough to call for treatment
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

13. Gambling problems by gender and
age
Men Women
20% 20%
16
15% 15%
13
10
10% 9 10%
7
6
5 5
5% 5%
4 3 3
3
2 2 2 2
1 1
1 1
0% 0%
16-17 18-24 25-44 45-64 65-84 16-17 18-24 25-44 45-64 65-84
Low risk Gambling problems Low risk Gambling problems
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

14. Gambling problems
• The proportion of people gambling during the past 12 months has
decreased from 88% to 70%
• 2.2 percent of the Swedish population aged 16-84 have gambling
problems and an additional 5.4 percent are considered at risk of
developing gambling problems
• Gambling problems can be found in all segments of the population but
are unevenly distributed in respect to gender, age and socio-economic
background
• Gambling problems are most frequent among people gambling over
the Internet and gambling on bingo, machines, poker or casino games
• Men and women with similar patterns of gambling are at almost equal
risk of having gambling problems
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

15. Health in relation to gambling
problems
Men Women
100% 100%
86 85
83 81
80% 74 80% 74
68
60
60% 56
60% 54
43
37
40%
40%
30
20%
20%
9
0%
0% No gambling Low risk Moderate risk/
No gambling Low risk Moderate risk Problem problems Problem
problems gambling gambling
Good general health
Good general health Good mental health Good mental health
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

16. Smoking and gambling problems
Men Women
15% 15%
13
10% 10%
8
8
6
5
5% 5%
4 3 3
2
1 1
0,5
0% 0%
No smoking Smoking Daily smoking No smoking Smoking Daily smoking
oc casionally oc casionally
Low risk Gambling problems Low risk Gambling problems
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

17. Alcohol consumption and
gambling problems
Men Women
20% 20%
16
15% 15%
10% 10%
8
6
5
5% 5%
3
2
1 1
0% 0%
Not at risk Risky alcohol Not at risk Risky alcohol
consumption consumption
Low risk Gambling problems Low risk Gambling problems
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

18. Key findings gambling and
health
• The mental health is worse among people with gambling
problems compared to those without gambling problems
• Men with gambling problems have worse health, drink and
smoke more than men without gambling problems
• Women with gambling problems are more lonely than
women without gambling problems
• Internet gamblers have a somewhat better health but
smoke and drink more than those not gambling on the
Internet. Some of the differences can probably be
explained by the lower average age among the Internet
gamblers.
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

19. Problem gambling (PGSI 3+) in
different clusters
Heavy gamblers 11%
Poker gamblers
Social gamblers 5%
Occasional gamblers 2%
Habitual gamblers 2%
Seldom gamblers 1%
Non gamblers 0
0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14%
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

20. Gambling clusters
Heavy gamblers
9%
Poker gamblers
Social gamblers 5 % Non gamblers
5%
30%
Occasional
gamblers
10%
Habitual gamblers Seldom gamblers
29% 18%
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

21. Problem gamblers (PGSI 3+)
Seldom gamblers
6%
Habitual gamblers
Heavy gamblers 29%
43%
Occasional
gamblers
Social gamblers gamblers
Poker 11 % 11%
11%
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

22. Conclusions after EP I
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

23. Need for problem gambling
prevention
• Problem gambling treatment is needed all over
the country
• Continuous need for information and
educational measures
• One target group is young men without secure
footing on the labour market
• Improved control of age limits
• Extended responsible gaming for casino,
poker, machines and Internet gambling
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

24. Study objectives of the first
wave
• To describe gambling patterns
• To measure the extent of existing gambling problems
in Sweden
• To identify the most affected groups in society
• To investigate how gambling problems correlate with
other factors such as gambling patterns, social
situation, health and economy
• To develop enhanced measuring instruments for
gambling problems
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24

25. Main differences and similarities
compared to SWEGS
• The proportion of people gambling during the past 12 months has
decreased from 88% to 70%
• The decrease is evident in all gambling forms except card games
for men and horses for women
• There are still more men than women gambling and developing
gambling problems
• Minor gambling is less frequent, but young people are still a
target group for gambling problems even though they gamble
less than the adult population
• Gambling problems remain at the same level
• The proportion of young men, 18-24 years old, with gambling
problems has doubled
• The proportion of men aged 24-44 years old with severe
gambling problems has doubled
10th Nordic Public Health Conference, Turku 2011-08-24