Around 40% of upper secondary students in Iceland say they have gambled in the past year, according to a new University of Iceland survey. Researchers are calling for stronger prevention efforts among young people.
The Icelandic Youth Survey asked upper secondary students about gambling for the first time, alongside its regular research into youth wellbeing and attitudes.
What’s the Story?
Original source: RÚV
- Around 40% of upper secondary students said they had gambled in the previous 12 months.
- Researchers say loneliness and poor mental wellbeing are recognised risk factors for gambling.
- Online slot machines were the most commonly reported form of gambling.
Mental Wellbeing Linked
Ragný Þóra Guðjohnsen, Associate Professor at the University of Iceland and academic director of the Youth In Iceland survey, said the findings highlighted the need for stronger prevention efforts targeting children, adolescents and young adults.
According to Ragný Þóra, young adults aged 18–25 make up the country’s largest group of gamblers and are more likely to experience financial and mental health problems alongside gambling.
The survey also points to a deterioration in young people’s mental wellbeing. Forty per cent of young women reported feeling lonely often or all the time, up by 10 percentage points since the previous survey two years ago.
More than 30% of young men also reported frequent loneliness, compared with around 24% previously.
Ragný Þóra said emotional distress, loneliness and difficulties in relationships are recognised risk factors for gambling. Nearly one in four respondents reported problems in their relationships with peers, which she said could increase the likelihood of young people turning to online gambling and becoming socially isolated.
Gender Specifics
The survey found gambling was more common among boys and young men than girls and young women. Nearly 55% of men aged 18 and over reported gambling during the previous year, compared with 33% of women. Among those under 18, the figures were just over 44% for boys and around 28% for girls.
Online slot machines were the most common form of gambling, with 15% of respondents saying they had tried them. Scratch cards, bingo and money games such as poker followed, while more than 11% had placed online bets and 9% had used online casinos.
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