Spelpaus is a voluntary gambling self-exclusion service. It allows people to exclude themselves from gambling with any operator licensed in Sweden. In this study, the researchers looked at people’s reasons for engaging with Spelpaus, as well as their thoughts about the advantages of and challenges with the service. In total, 15 adults living in Sweden who self-identified as having a problem gambling and had experience using Spelpaus were recruited in 2023. They completed online interviews about their experiences.
The interview responses revealed that participants had various reasons for the decision to self-exclude, such as major life events, increased self-awareness of their gambling habits, and negative impacts of their gambling on loved ones. Participants talked about positive experiences with Spelpaus, including prevention of future problem gambling and improved quality of life. Participants also suggested areas for improvement, such as integrating other support systems with Spelpaus and addressing loopholes, including gambling on overseas sites that are not covered by Spelpaus. The findings can inform the improvement of gambling self-exclusion services.
