The number of people seeking help for gambling addiction in Sweden has increased significantly since the pandemic, according to Spelfriheten, a Stockholm-based clinic that provides free treatment services for people suffering from gambling-related issues.
Number of Help Seekers Up 40% from 2021
In particular, the clinic reported that the first six months of 2022 have been their busiest period so far, with 5,340 people contacting the clinic for treatment and support. That’s up 40% from the 3,797 recorded in the first half of 2021.
The sharp increase in the number of “help seekers” is already a cause for concern, but what’s even more alarming is the fact that the clinic has recorded an increase in women seeking help. Spelfriheten Marketing Manager Adam Kirstein Reutersward said they’ve observed the biggest increase in calls from women belonging to the 30-55 age group.
More Than 40% of Help Seekers are Women
Female gamblers accounted for 40% of the people seeking treatment support from the clinic this year. In June alone, nearly 394 women reached out to the clinic to get help. Reutersward said the majority of the victims are non-gamblers before who have only begun playing online casinos during the pandemic and eventually couldn’t fight their way out.
The clinic has already forwarded the worrying figures to Sweden’s National Association for Problem Gambling, Spelberoendes Riksförbund.