1Nantes Université, Univ Tours, CHU Nantes, CHU Tours, INSERM, Methods in Patients Centered Outcomes and Health Research, SPHERE, F-44000, Nantes, France.
2Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, UIC Psychiatrie et Santé Mentale, F-44000, Nantes, France.
J Behav Addict. 2023 Mar 30;12(1):230-241. doi: 10.1556/2006.2022.00089.
The lockdown of sports and gambling venues during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused a fear of increased gambling on other online gambling types, with a risk for transfer to more addictive gambling than otherwise. This study aimed to estimate changes in gambling activity during COVID-19-affected periods among all gamblers at a Swedish state-owned gambling operator and to analyse observable sex differences.
This study included gambling tracking data from the Swedish state-owned gambling operator Svenska Spel Sports & Casino (sports betting, online bingo, casino and poker). All individuals (n = 616,245) who gambled at least once from February 10 to July 19, 2020, were included. The study period was divided into four periods according to their expected level of COVID-19 impact on gambling opportunities: one pre-COVID period and three COVID-affected periods (sports cancellation, emerging return of sports, substantial return of sports).
Sports betting experienced an apparent decrease, followed by a gradual normalization and an end level substantially below prepandemic levels. For online bingo, gambling levels increased upon sports interruption and then decreased with the return to normality in sports events but remained higher than baseline levels. We observed a similar trend for online poker during the interruption of sports, but with a lower level than baseline levels when sports events normalized. We noticed a trend favouring online casinos during the sports interruption period regarding gambling intensity but not wagering levels.
Dramatic changes in the content of the gambling market may divert some gamblers to other gambling types, but maintained effects could not be demonstrated.
2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行期间，体育和博彩场所关闭，人们担心其他在线博彩类型的赌博活动会增加，而且这种风险比其他情况更容易转移到更具成瘾性的赌博上。本研究旨在估计瑞典国有博彩运营商所有赌客在 COVID-19 影响期间的赌博活动变化，并分析可观察到的性别差异。
本研究包括瑞典国有博彩运营商 Svenska Spel Sports & Casino（博彩、在线宾果、赌场和扑克）的赌博跟踪数据。所有至少在 2020 年 2 月 10 日至 7 月 19 日期间有过一次赌博的个人（n=616245）均被纳入研究。研究期间根据预期对赌博机会的 COVID-19 影响程度分为四个时期：一个 COVID-19 前时期和三个 COVID-19 影响时期（体育赛事取消、体育赛事逐渐恢复、体育赛事大量恢复）。
体育博彩出现明显下降，随后逐渐恢复正常，最终水平远低于大流行前水平。对于在线宾果游戏，体育赛事中断后赌博水平上升，随后随着体育赛事恢复正常而下降，但仍高于基线水平。我们观察到在线扑克在体育赛事中断期间也出现了类似的趋势，但当体育赛事正常化时，其水平低于基线水平。我们注意到在体育赛事中断期间，在线博彩更有利于赌场的赌博强度，但对投注水平没有影响。
赌博市场内容的巨大变化可能会使一些赌客转向其他赌博类型，但维持的效果无法证明。
