The Influence of Lockdown on the Gambling Pattern of Swiss Casinos Players

Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has had a major impact on most societies worldwide, including the closure of non-essential businesses in spring 2020. The present study considers its impact upon gambling behavior. Particularly, changes in self-reported gambling by Swiss, land-based casino players are examined. The main characteristics of respondents who played or did not play during lockdown are also investigated. This study is embedded in an ongoing longitudinal study that examines the gambling behavior of casino players at three points in time. All respondents who had participated in the first wave of the longitudinal study by the cut-off date (15th March 2020) were asked about their gambling behavior during lockdown in a supplementary online survey three weeks after the end of lockdown. A total of 55% of the 110 respondents reported having played during lockdown. Gambling intensity significantly decreased (p < 0.001) in our sample. Considering only those respondents (n = 66) who reported having gambled during lockdown, gambling intensity also decreased (p < 0.001), but online gambling significantly increased (p < 0.002). Those players who have increased their gambling activity require particular attention. It is important that casinos respond with appropriate player protection measures to those who have increased their gambling activity during the pandemic.

Gambling and the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review

“…The majority of the 24 studies were published in 2020 ( Auer et al, 2020 ; Czegledy, 2020 ; Frisone et al, 2020 ; Gainsbury et al, 2020 ; Griffiths et al, 2020 ; Håkansson, 2020a , Håkansson, 2020b , Håkansson, 2020c ; Håkansson et al, 2020a , Håkansson et al, 2020b ; Hunt et al, 2020 ; Lindner et al, 2020 ; Ng Yuen and Bursby, 2020 ; Price, 2020 ; Sharman, 2020 ; Turner, 2020 ; Wardle, 2020 ; Yahya and Khawaja, 2020 ), while 6 of the studies were published in 2021 ( Donati et al, 2021 ; George, 2020 , Håkansson et al, 2021 ; Lischer et al, 2021 ; Sharman et al, 2021 ; Wardle et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Nineteen studies were from Europe, including six from Sweden ( Håkansson et al, 2021 ; Håkansson, 2020a , Håkansson, 2020b , Håkansson, 2020c ; Håkansson et al, 2020b ; Lindner et al, 2020 ), eight from the UK ( Griffiths et al, 2020 ; Hunt et al, 2020 ; Sharman, 2020 ; Sharman et al, 2021 , Wardle, 2020 ; Yahya and Khawaja, 2020 ; Ng Yuen and Bursby, 2020 ), two from Italy ( Donati et al, 2021 ; Frisone et al, 2020 ), one from Switzerland ( Lischer et al, 2021 ) and two from a non-specific country or multiple countries ( Auer et al, 2020 ; Håkansson et al, 2020a ). Three articles were from North America (all from Canada; Czegledy, 2020 ; Price, 2020 ; Turner, 2020 ), one from Australia ( Gainsbury et al, 2020 ), and one from Asia (India) ( George, 2020 ).…”

“…Fourteen studies were original articles ( Auer et al, 2020 ; Donati et al, 2021 ; Frisone et al, 2020 ; Gainsbury et al, 2020 ; Håkansson, 2020a , Håkansson, 2020b , Håkansson, 2020c ; Håkansson et al, 2020b ; Håkansson et al, 2021 ; Lindner et al, 2020 ; Lischer et al, 2021 ; Price, 2020 ; Sharman et al, 2021 ; Wardle et al, 2020), eight were commentaries or editorials ( Czegledy, 2020 ; George, 2020 ; Griffiths et al, 2020 ; Håkansson et al, 2020a ; Sharman, 2020 ; Turner, 2020 ; Yahya and Khawaja, 2020 ; Ng Yuen and Bursby, 2020 ), and two were protocols ( Hunt et al, 2020 ; Wardle, 2020 ) (see Table 1 ).…”

“…All fourteen original studies used a quantitative design or mixed-design. Among them, 4 studies used data from the industry, gambling authorities, or data from gambling treatment centers ( Auer et al, 2020 ; Lindner et al, 2020 ; Håkansson, 2020c ; Håkansson et al, 2021 ), whereas 10 used a web-based survey or panel ( Frisone et al, 2020 ; Gainsbury et al, 2020 ; Håkansson, 2020a , Håkansson, 2020b ; Håkansson et al, 2020b ; Lischer et al, 2021 ; Price, 2020 ; Sharman et al, 2021 ; Wardle et al, 2020) and one used a phone survey ( Donati et al, 2021 ). One protocol used a web-based panel ( Wardle, 2020 ), while the other one, being a mixed-method study, used both a qualitative and quantitative design ( Hunt et al, 2020 ).…”

“…Although betting decreased substantially in synchrony with a slight increase in online casino gambling, there was no increase in high-intensity, likely problematic gambling as per the Swedish government's own definition, and neither did total online gambling increase. Future research is required to examine the impact of the outbreak over longer periods of time, on different types of gambling and on subgroups of gamblers, including problem gamblers, preferably using behavior tracking of individual gambling accounts.” Lischer et al (2021) The Influence of Lockdown on the Gambling Pattern of Swiss Casinos Players Europe (Switzerland) Original Research Study the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on “gambling behavior. Particularly, changes in self-reported gambling by Swiss, land-based casino players” Quantitative (online questionnaire) N = 110 “Considering only those respondents ( n = 66) who reported having gambled during lockdown, gambling intensity also decreased ( p < 0.001), but online gambling significantly increased ( p < 0.002).…”