STOCKHOLM, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) — There are signs that gambling addiction is becoming a growing problem in Sweden due to the recession, the Public Health Agency said on Monday.
– There is a risk that more and more people will have a gambling problem and that the consequences (of their addiction) will become worse, says Jessika Spangberg, analyst at the authority, to Sveriges Television (SVT).
“We know that unemployment, mental illness and increased financial stress are clear risk factors,” Spangberg said.
After consulting with budget and debt advisors around the country, the Public Health Authority found that after the covid-19 pandemic, approximately 10 percent of people with gambling problems who had requested help increased to 30 percent.
The increase was mainly due to more unemployment and social isolation, the agency said, adding that as household financial margins shrink, problems can quickly get worse for more people.
According to a study by the authority in January, problem gambling cost Swedish society 9 billion kroner (870 million US dollars) in 2021.
In the European Commission’s economic forecast released last week, Sweden’s economy is the worst in the EU and is predicted to shrink by 0.8 percent in 2023.
Source: sn.dk