Gambling problems during the COVID-19 pandemic: The potential problems among youth

ABSTRACT

Background: The development of gambling addiction overgrows in line with technological advances and an increasingly widespread internet network so that online gambling reaches various islands in Indonesia. Internet use is increasing during the COVID-19 pandemic and has an impact on mental health, in which some people are gambling to relieve stress. The number of patients with Gambling Disorder (GD) has been increasing in clinical practice. Methods: We distributed The Indonesian version of the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) via google form nationwide through the internet and social media from April 18 to May 15, 2021, to subjects (n=5810, age 18 to 59 years) selected using non-probability sampling and incidental sampling. We were looking for the prevalence of GD in Indonesia and divided subjects into two characteristics GD and non-GD. Results: GD prevalence was determined using the Indonesian version of SOGS with a sample size of 5810 and obtained 57 subjects with GD with a cut-off point of 8. The prevalence of GD in Indonesia was 1 %. Most of the subjects were male (73.2%), aged 18-25 years (53.3%). The most frequent gambling was betting on sporting events (16%). The most widely used devices for gambling practice are smartphones (67,4%). Conclusions: Internet use is increasing during the COVID-19 pandemic and has an impact on mental health. Some people were gambling to relieve stress. The prevalence of GD in Indonesia was 1%.