Scandinavian society and gambling: do they go hand in hand? This article examines the history of gambling in the Nordic countries. It also shows how gambling in the Scandinavian countries has changed over the centuries. In 1020, the kings of Norway and Sweden rolled dice to determine territory. The Vikings also practiced gambling. Over time, gambling disappeared and games of skill gained popularity. Today, these games exploit loopholes in gambling laws and offer huge payouts to players.
The social costs of gambling addiction are enormous. In 2018, Sweden alone incurred social spending of €1,419 million, including direct, indirect and intangible costs. These expenses are twice the total income from gambling in Sweden. They also account for a third of the social costs associated with alcohol and smoking, which are common habits among Swedish citizens. Despite these costs, more research is needed to determine the social costs of gambling addiction.
Several studies have also compared problems with gambling in the Nordic countries. For example, the European Study on Alcohol and Drugs (ESPAD) 2015 found an association between types of gambling and gambling among adolescents. The ESPAD study involved eight hundred and eighteen respondents from Denmark, Finland and Sweden, discover this info here. The authors found a correlation between types of gambling and adolescent risk factors, including school truancy and relationships with parents.
Although gambling rates are lower in Finland, Norway and Sweden than in the Scandinavian countries, slot machine gambling is relatively high in Denmark. By contrast, card and lottery gambling was higher in Finland and Iceland. In addition, the proportion of individuals playing on online gambling sites was significantly higher than in Finland, Denmark and Norway. However, the association between alcohol and gambling was not significant in the final model. For example, Denmark and Norway did not have a high proportion of gambling.
The Swedish economy is one of the richest in the world. The GDP per capita is $52,274, almost two-thirds higher than the US ($63,593)! Sweden uses the free market to support its social security system and the country has a capital gains tax of 30%. In the 1970s, he expanded his welfare program from cradle to grave and raised tax rates. The tax burden stifled business and increased unemployment.
Despite the widespread use of gambling, it is often not recognized as a problem. In fact, a Swelogs study that surveyed Swedish adults found that only 1.3% of Swedish adults had problems with gambling in the past year. In addition, an additional 2.9% of people suffered from less severe subclinical gambling problems. However, it was clear that the Nordic countries had taken a proactive public health stance in dealing with this problem.
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Eleena Timmons