The societal costs were more than twice as high as the tax revenue from gambling in 2018. Indirect costs accounted for more than half (59%) of the total costs, while intangible costs accounted for 28%.
Direct costs accounted only for 13% of the total costs. The societal costs of problem gambling amounted to 1.42 billion euros in 2018, corresponding to 0.30% of the gross domestic product. Costs were estimated by combining epidemiological and unit cost data. A societal approach was chosen in order to include direct costs (such as health care and legal costs), indirect costs (such as lost productivity due to unemployment), and intangible costs (such as reduced quality of life due to emotional distress). MethodsĪ prevalence-based cost-of-illness study for Sweden for the year 2018 was conducted.
The economic consequences of gambling, and thereby the potential economic consequences of policy changes in the area, are unknown, as the cost of problem gambling to society has remained largely unexplored in Sweden and similar settings. Recent law changes in Sweden oblige local and regional health authorities to invest more in prevention and treatment of problem gambling. Problem gambling is a public health issue affecting both the gamblers, their families, their employers, and society as a whole.
