Problem gambling in Sweden has decreased alongside the expansion of the country’s market, according to a new report put out by the Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS).
The report was written by economist Ola Nevander and pulls together national survey data and research going back over 20 years.
Its main conclusion is that the prevalence of problem gambling in Sweden is either stable or decreasing during the time covered by the research. This seemingly supports the stance BOS has presented that over-regulation is unnecessary.
BOS Secretary General Gustaf Hoffstedt said: “With the transformation from old anonymous gambling in the kiosk to today’s digital gaming products, we have not solved the problem of gambling addiction, but we seem to have chosen the right path.
“Used correctly and responsibly, online gambling and AI mean that we have new tools to push problem gambling back to levels so low that we have probably never been there before. We are on the right track, but a lot of work remains.”
The study suggested that when using the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), the proportion of the adult population with a problem gambling classification decreased between 2008/09 and 2021 from 2.2% to 1.3%.
Previous surveys carried out in the late 1990s recorded the proportion to be 2%. Sweden’s population has grown over the period, yet the absolute number of people experiencing problem gambling was found to have fallen by around 57,000 between 2008/09 and 2021.
The decrease was not registered only among the most severe cases; rather broader at-risk groups shrank too, suggesting something has changed across the population more generally.
What makes this notable is the backdrop against which it happened. The same period has seen online gambling expand considerably, adding more products, more advertising and easier access.
The study found that these conditions did not push problem gambling upward.
Multiple factors in play
In the report, Nevander is careful not to oversimplify the causes.
The study argues that gambling behaviour is subject to the influence of a multitude of factors, including individual vulnerability, mental health, alcohol consumption, adversity in life, social trends, and the regulatory environment.
One structural element the report singles out is channelisation. Regulated platforms come with tools that black-market sites do not, such as self-exclusion schemes, deposit limits and behavioural tracking. These allow for earlier intervention in cases of gambling harm.
When gamblers drift toward unlicensed options, those protections disappear. Previous reports suggest that channelisation in Sweden is on the decline.
On treatment, cognitive behavioural therapy comes out as the most robustly supported option. Pre-commitment tools and self-exclusion systems can also make a difference, though only when implemented properly.
The report is candid that the wider evidence base is thin, however, particularly on long-term outcomes.
BOS says its intention in commissioning the work is to ground public debate in data rather than assumptions.
The association also flags a practical gap: Sweden’s last national prevalence survey dates to 2021, and more current figures are needed.
