The Prevalence and Clinical and Sociodemographic Factors of Problem Online Gambling: A Systematic Review

The emergence and spread of new technologies have allowed for the introduction of new forms of gambling. Problem online gambling has specific characteristics, and its prevalence may differ from traditional forms of gambling. In a new paper, just published in Journal of Gambling Studies, we systematically reviewed studies that include data relevant to problem online … Read more

Deposit Limit Prompt in Online Gambling for Reducing Gambling Intensity: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Pre-commitment tools – allowing users of gambling services to pre-set a limit for how much money they may spend – are relatively common. However, there exist no clear evidence of their effectiveness in preventing gamblers from spending more money than they otherwise planned. The aim of the study was to compare gambling intensity between users … Read more

Congratulations Ekaterina Ivanova (she is defending his PhD thesis today)

Today Ekaterina Ivanova will defend her PhD-thesis entitled  “Responsible provision of online gambling: Effects, usability and gamblers’ experiences of protective measures implemented in online gambling environments“. Professor Mark Griffiths from Nottingham Trent University will be the opponent during the public defense. From the abstract of the thesis: Problem gambling is considered a public health problem … Read more

Congratulations Kristoffer Magnusson (he is defending his PhD thesis today)

Today Kristoffer Magnusson will defend his PhD-thesis entitled “Methodological issues in psychological treatment research : applications to gambling research and therapist effects“. I have been the main supervisor and Clara Hellner and Gerhard Andersson have been co-supervisors. The opponent will be professor Andy Field from University of Sussex, School of Psychology. From the abstract: Over the … Read more

Agreement between problem gamblers and their concerned significant others regarding the amount of money lost when gambling

In a study that was published today, we investigated the level of agreement between problem gamblers and their concerned significant others (CSOs) regarding the amount of money lost when gambling. Reported losses were analyzed from 266 participants (133 dyads) seeking treatment, which included different types of CSO–gambler dyads. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) concerning the … Read more

Congratulations David Forsström (he is defending his PhD thesis today)

Today at 10 PhD-student David Forsström will defend his thesis entitled “The use and experience of responsible gambling tools: An explorative analysis of user behavior regarding a responsible gambling tool and the consequences of use”. I have been the main supervisor and Hugo Hesser and Markus Jansson-Fröjmark were co-supervisos. The opponent was Professor Anders Håkansson … Read more

Psychometric properties the Jonsson-Abbott Scale

Traditionally, gambling and problem gambling research relies on cross-sectional and retrospective designs. This has compromised identification of temporal relationships and causal inference. To overcome these problems a new questionnaire, the Jonsson-Abbott Scale (JAS), was developed and used in a large, prospective, general population study, The Swedish Longitudinal Gambling Study (Swelogs). The JAS has 11 items … Read more

Behavioral couples therapy for Problem Gamblers and Concerned Significant Others

Problem gambling creates significant harm for the gambler and for concerned significant others (CSOs). While several studies have investigated the effects of individual cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for problem gambling, less is known about the effects of involving CSOs in treatment. Behavioral couples therapy (BCT) has shown promising results when working with substance use disorders … Read more

Experiences of Playscan: Interviews with users of a responsible gambling tool

Online gambling, encompassing a wide variety of activities and around-the-clock access, can be a potential risk factor for gamblers who tend to gamble excessively. Yet, the advent of online gambling has enabled responsible gambling features that may help individuals to limit their gambling behaviour. One of these is tools that track gamblers’ behaviour, performs risk … Read more

Effects of Added Involvement From Concerned Significant Others in Treatments for Problem Gambling

Problem gambling is a public health concern affecting approximately 2.3 % of the Swedish population. Problem gambling also severely affects concerned significant others (CSOs). Several studies have investigated the effect of individual treatments based on cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), but less is known of the effect of involving concerned significant others in treatment. In a … Read more