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Germany – ISD and University of Bremen present the Gambling Survey 2021
By Phil - 15 March 2022
The Institute for Interdisciplinary Addiction and Drug Research (ISD) and the University of Bremen (gambling research unit) presented the most important results of the 2021 Gambling Survey today. INFO GmbH Market and Opinion Research (Berlin) was responsible for data collection. The study was funded by the German Lotto and Totoblock.
“The Gambling Survey 2021 is intended to contribute to further deepening knowledge about the type and intensity of participation in gambling and the problems associated with it. Based on the results of this study, player and youth protection measures can be evaluated and improved if necessary,” says project manager Dr. Jens Kalke from the ITS.
The population of the present study is the German-speaking population between the ages of 16 and 70 years. The data was collected for the first time in the form of a mixed-mode design, which included both telephone and online surveys. A total of 12,303 interviews were conducted between August 3rd, 2021 and October 16th, 2021.
For this Dr. Sven Buth, research associate at the ISD: “The present gambling survey involves a methodical restart, since both a new survey mode (mixed mode) and an updated instrument for determining gambling-associated problems (DSM-5) have been used. The figures presented in this report therefore only permit limited comparability with the results of the earlier BZgA gambling surveys. It should also be taken into account that in 2020 and 2021 the venues had to close several times due to lockdowns caused by the pandemic and that betting on sports results was also only possible to a limited extent during this time.”
According to the results of the Gambling Survey 2021, a total of 29.7 per cent of the population took part in at least one game of chance for money within a year (3rd quarter of 2020 to 3rd quarter of 2021). The most popular is the classic number lottery 6aus49. Every fifth person took part in it at least once (19.3 per cent). This is followed by the Eurojackpot with a share of 10.7 per cent and the scratch card with 7.1 per cent. All other types of gambling are played (significantly) less frequently.
According to the criteria of the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), 2.3 per cent of the German population aged 18-70 have a “gambling disorder” (slight degree of severity: 1.1 per cent, medium degree of severity: 0.7 per cent, severe severity: 0.5 per cent).
“The results of the 2021 Gambling Survey also indicate that the risk of developing gambling-related problems differs both in terms of the forms of gambling and the access routes – here in particular the parallel use of stationary and online-supported gambling offers. When designing and establishing player and youth protection measures in Germany, this should be taken into account in such a way that prevention concepts for games of chance with an increased risk potential, such as slot machines and slot machines as well as live sports betting, are designed to be more restrictive and geared towards relative prevention,” says Prof. Dr . Gerhard Meyer from the University of Bremen.
29.7% of the population has participated in at least one gambling game for money in the last 12 months. This proportion is greater for men than for women (34.7 per cent to 24.5 per cent). Broken down by age group, it can be seen that the proportion of current gamblers increases steadily up to the 36 to 45 age group (to 33.8 per cent), only to fall slightly again among older people. One fifth of all respondents practiced only one form of gambling within a year ( 20.1 per cent). 6.1 per cent have two, 2.1 per cent three and 1.4 per cent four or more different forms of gambling that are played in parallel.
12.1 per cent of the population play exclusively in terrestrial venues. Slightly fewer (9.7 per cent) play online gambling only, and 6.1 per cent prefer a combination of both gaming settings.
If an evaluation is made according to individual forms of gambling, the classic number lottery 6aus49 comes first. Every fifth person has taken part in it at least once in the last 12 months (19.3 per cent). The Eurojackpot follows in second place with a percentage of 10.7 per cent. 6.8 per cent of the population has participated in risky forms of gambling (slot games, casino games, sports betting) in the last 12 months.
In 2.3 per cent of the German population aged 18-70 years, a “gambling disorder” can be identified based on the fulfilled criteria of the DSM-5. The proportion of the population with a mild disorder is 1.1 per cent, with a moderate disorder 0.7 per cent and with a severe disorder 0.5 per cent. Men are affected by a gambling-associated disorder with a proportion of 3.5 per cent much more frequently than women (1.1 per cent).
The respective proportion of people with a gambling-related disorder varies among the players of individual types of games. The highest proportions are found among players at slot machines in arcades and restaurants with a total of 33.4 per cent, followed by players at slot machines in casinos (31.5 per cent) and participants in live sports betting (29 .7%).
After screening underage gambling-related problems using the DSM-IV-Multiple Response-Adapted for Juveniles (DSM-IV-MR-J) criteria, 1.7 per cent of adolescents aged 16-17 years show up problematic gaming behavior.
The vast majority of those surveyed feel well or very well informed (78.3 per cent) about the dangers of gambling. The most well-known among the population is the ban on participation for minors. 85.3 per cent of those surveyed know that gambling for money is not permitted for children and young people in Germany. 75.5 per cent and 70.3 per cent, respectively, are aware of educational measures and tips on addiction to the dangers of gambling.
The highest approval rate is found in the ban on gambling for children and young people. Nine out of ten respondents believe that gambling for money should only be allowed from the age of 18 (86.3 per cent). In second place is education about the dangers of addiction in gambling with a percentage of 82.9 per cent positive responses. Almost 70 per cent of respondents advocate restricting gambling advertising (68.6 per cent).
An evaluation according to the DSM-5 severity level shows that the various youth and player protection measures are less accepted among people with a gambling disorder than in the group of unproblematic gamblers.
30.1 per cent of all respondents have seen gambling-related advertising in the last 30 days. Classified according to the DSM-5 severity, it is shown that the proportions of the perception of gambling advertising increase with the extent of the gambling-associated problems. Nine out of ten who reported perceived gambling advertising indicated that advertising had no impact on their gaming behavior (90.7 per cent). In the case of people with a gambling-related disorder, on the other hand, advertising has an initiating effect on their own gambling behavior. 41.2 per cent of those affected by a serious gambling disorder report that they try new games of chance because of advertising.
The results of the study show that the classic number lotteries, such as LOTTO 6aus49, are the most popular games of chance among those who have gambled in the past twelve months. “The study results also confirm again that lotteries such as LOTTO 6aus49 and Eurojackpot pose a significantly lower risk potential than the other forms of gambling surveyed,” says Axel Holthaus, Managing Director of LOTTO Niedersachsen.
In addition, the study results make it clear that although there is a small proportion of problem gamblers among the participants in games of chance with a low risk potential (lotteries), for whom – according to the study – other forms of gambling may have caused the problems. “It is particularly important for these vulnerable groups of people to be able to reach them at the stationary acceptance points and through self-sales on the Internet with regard to information on gambling addiction and offers of help,” explained Sven Osthoff, Managing Director of LOTTO Niedersachsen. “For the 16 state lottery companies that are part of the DLTB, it is therefore important to continue the comprehensive measures to protect players and young people. For more than 70 years we have been providing game participants with such an attractive,
Torsten Meinberg, Managing Director of LOTTO Hamburg and Chairman of the Working Group on Player Protection and Prevention in the DLTB, added: “With regard to the new State Treaty on Gaming (GlüStV 2021), which came into force on July 1, 2021, the study is an important baseline measurement. The survey conducted in 2021 is a solid starting point for recording the effects of the new legal regulations, in particular the legalization of many online gambling offers. The following surveys for 2023 and 2025 will show the extent to which gambling behavior among the population will change as a result.”
The current gambling survey 2021 also confirms good knowledge and a high level of acceptance of the various measures for the protection of players and minors among the population. Gambling is not a normal commodity. “When designing and establishing the legally anchored measures to protect players and young people, the different risk potential of the individual forms of gambling must be taken into account for the specific target group,” concluded Axel Holthaus, Managing Director of LOTTO Niedersachsen.
Caption: Torsten Meinberg, Managing Director LOTTO Hamburg, Axel Holthaus, Managing Director LOTTO Lower Saxony, and Dr. Jens Kalke, Dr. Sven Buth and Dr. Philipp Hiller from the ISD Hamburg (from left to right).
