Gambling and gambling regulation in Norway Ingeborg Rossow Norwegian Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research, Oslo Presentation at International Conference on Gambling in the Czech Republic and its New Regulatory Framework Prague, October 9, 214
Slot machine gambling: liberalized policy in the 199s More actors allowed No restrictions on amount of winnings Co-occurred with technical advances and change from coin input to bank note acceptors Led to an increase in: Number of slot machines and gross turnover
Further increase in slot machine gambling in Norway 45 4 35 3 25 2 15 1 5 2 21 22 23 24 25 All other games Slot machines Gross turnover in billion NOK per year
Slot machines important in problem gambling «Slot machines the crack cocaine of gambling addiction» Most frequent in adult problem gamblers Population survey (Lund & Nordlund, 23) Most frequent in teenage problem gamblers School survey (Rossow & Hansen, 23) Most often reported as main problem in help line callers Norwegian help line statistics, 26/27
Regulations of slot machine gambling 26: Bank note acceptors prohibited July 1st 27: Slot machines removed July 1st Monopoly established 29: New and fewer slot machines introduced
Changes in gross turnover 45 4 35 3 25 2 15 1 5 2 22 25 26 27 28 All other games Slot machines Bank note acceptor prohibited from July 1st Slot machines removed from July 1st
Changes in gross turnover 45 4 35 3 25 2 15 1 5 2 22 25 26 27 28 29 21 211 All other games Slot machines Bank note acceptor prohibited Slot machines removed New slot machines
Changes in help line calls 1 8 6 4 2 1st half 26 2nd half 26 1st half 27 2nd half 27 All other games Slot machines Bank note acceptor prohibited Slot machines removed
Changes in help line calls 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1st half 26 2nd half 26 1st half 27 2nd half 27 Half 28 Half 29 Half 21 Half 211 All other games Slot machines Bank note acceptor prohibited Slot machines removed New slot machines
Changes in problem gambling prevalence adult population NODS 1 8 6 4 2 Bank note acceptor prohibited 22 27 28 At risk Problem Slot machines removed Lund & Nordlund, 23; Øren & Bakken, 27; Bakken & Weggersberg, 28
Changes in problem gambling prevalence adult population CPGI 1 8 6 4 2 Bank note acceptor prohibited 22 27 28 21 At risk Problem Slot machines removed New slot machines Kavli & Berntsen, 25; Kavli, 27; Kavli & Torvik, 28; Pran & Ukkelberg, 21
Changes in problem gambling prevalence youth population SOGS-RA 1 8 6 4 2 24 25 26 At risk Problem Bank note acceptor prohibited Hansen & Rossow, 21
Changes in problem gambling prevalence youth population: SOGS-RA & self-perceived 1 1 8 8 6 6 4 4 2 2 26 28 At risk Problem 26 28 Self-perceived problem Slot machines removed Rossow, Hansen & Storvoll, 213
Summary of findings Prohibition of note acceptors Reduced gross turnover on slot machines and in total Reduced help line calls from slot machine gamblers and in total Reduced problem gambling among youth No change in problem gambling among adults Removal of slot machines Reduced gross turnover in total Reduced help line calls from slot machine gamblers and in total Mixed findings re problem gambling among youth Reduced problem gambling among adults Introduction new slot machines Increased gross turnover on slot machines and in total, not to preintervention level Increased help line calls from slot machine gamblers and in total, not to pre-intervention level Increased prevalence of gambling problems among adults, not to preintervention level
Changes attributable to interventions? Theoretical plausible explanations Standard economic theory of availability and demand Total consumption model predicting problem rates Methodological limitations and concerns imply cautiousness in inferring intervention effects Increased unregistered gambling abroad? Diminishing interest/need for help line after introduction? Changes in other gambling (e.g. on internet) may have affected changes in problem gambling Low prevalence figures for problem gambling sensitive to random variation Large decrease in response rates in adult population surveys
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