Sweden: gambling activity remains the same

Svenska Spel said that is has seen a marginal increase in interest for poker, casino and bingo since the Covid-19 lockdown came into force.

Sweden.- Gambling operator Svenska Spel has reported no change in average spending on gambling despite the number of gamblers increasing slightly while the country remains in lockdown due to Coronavirus.

The operator has been closely monitoring player behaviour in order to prevent a rise in problem gambling.

“We see a marginally increased interest in poker, bingo and casino,” the operator’s sustainability manager, Kajsa Nylander, and responsible gambling data analyst, Axel Lyckberg, explained in a report.

“For casino, the increase is so low that we cannot currently discern whether it is a Covid-19 effect or a natural growth.

“What is more important is that although the games attract new players, we have not yet seen average consumption of these games rise. Average spending per customer for poker, bingo and casino is at the same levels as before the coronavirus outbreak.

“Many are worried that gambling problems could increase when people are forced to sit at home a lot. We share this concern, but note that risk gaming does not yet appear to have increased at Svenska Spel.”

They both suggest players use the tools available to them to stay in control of their play,.

“It’s good to set limits on how much you can play for. That, together with observing your gaming history, is a good way to keep track of your gaming yourself so that it does not overpower you. But if you feel a fear of losing control, you can self-exclude from all gaming.”