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The Swedish Gambling Authority, Spelinspektionen, has published a report on youth gambling, revealing alarming trends: the number of young adults and minors participating in gambling has been rising in recent years. In particular, young men are at a higher risk of experiencing harmful gambling due to the increasing accessibility of gaming elements that promote betting behaviour.
The findings, outlined in the 2024 appropriation bill, indicate that many young adults (aged 18-24) are being drawn into gambling, primarily due to video gaming elements that mirror gambling experiences. This trend is particularly pronounced among male players.
Loot boxes are probably the most contentious gaming feature contributing to this behaviour. These randomised purchases inside a video game emulate gambling mechanics, introducing risk-taking behaviours early. Furthermore, “skin gambling” has seen interest, especially in the Counter-Strike community, where players use their in-game cosmetics as currency in gaming and betting.
Spelinspektionen has noted that gambling streams, where content creators broadcast themselves playing casino games or betting live, have grown in popularity. As a result, young audiences are being exposed to gambling at an unprecedented rate. Additionally, some influencers who originally built their following through non-gambling content have now integrated betting promotions into their streams.
Gambling companies continue to use intense marketing strategies to attract younger audiences. Through social media ads and influencer partnerships, gambling platforms are reaching demographics that were previously less engaged in such activities.
Black market gambling sites, which often lack proper ID verification procedures, are another significant concern. These unregulated platforms make it easy for minors to participate in real-money gambling activities without any restrictions.
The particularly disturbing finding revealed in the report is that most young adults are financing their gambling with student loans or wages. A few have resorted to high-interest loans for betting purposes, causing them to become financially unstable.
The report shows that among the most vulnerable are men between 23 and 24 years of age. Many in this age group suffer from poor control over their gambling behaviour, resulting in significant financial and psychological stress.
Since 2019, there has been a marked increase in gambling addiction among underage boys, while the problem gambling levels of underage girls have remained stable. Lack of detailed data on the rates among young adults is still a challenge, but the surging number of people under the age of 25 seeking treatment services is very revealing and obvious.
Spelinspektionen has forwarded its report to the Swedish government, using information from the Central Association for Alcohol and Drug Information (CAN). This collaboration will help in creating more effective policies and interventions to curb youth gambling.
To address this problem, the Swedish government may increase regulations on advertisements of gambling, improve ID verification requirements, and increase awareness campaigns targeted at young audiences.