Sweden: Foreign Poker Sites Double Risk of Problem Gambling
April 10th, 2008
The results of a one year investigation into online poker play in Sweden allege that players are more than twice as likely to develop gambling problems when playing poker with foreign operators, compared to those who only play at the state-owned online poker room of Svenska Spel.
The investigation commissioned in April 2007 by Sweden’s Finance Minister Anders Borg, estimates that some 200,000 Swede’s currently participate in online poker. Of those, 27.5% are said to played online poker during the fourth quarter of 2007 at Svenska Spel’s site only. A further 25% played at Svenska Spel and at least one other site, while 47.5% only played at other sites.
The report claims that of the players that only used Svenska Spel, 11% showed problematic or risky gambling behaviour compared to 27% of those who only played at private operators sites. The report also suggests that Swedish players overwhelmingly approve of Svenska Spel’s responsible gaming measures, with 8 out of 10 in favour of deposit limits and 7 out of 10 in favour of time limits.
Svenska Spel’s authorisation to operate an online poker room was due to expire at the end of December 2007 and was extended by the government until 30th June 2008, pending the results of this investigation.
These findings are now expected to be used to renew the licence for Svenska Spel’s online poker room, which the report states has been successful in channelling Swedish poker players away from ‘less socially responsible’ private operators.
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