In 2018, "casino" was the largest category in Swedish advertising, with 7.2 percent of all advertising done that year. When the market was liberalized in January 2019, that figure rose to 11.7. In 2018, gaming companies also invested SEK 7.4 billion in gaming advertising aimed at Swedish consumers, according to the Gaming Inspection. A sum expected to increase in 2019.
For gaming addicts, Christmas can be a tough time. At Spelberoende's association in Gothenburg, 20 percent more seek help at Christmas time.
Jimmy Nilsson at Spelberoendes association says one of the explanations for the increase in gaming addiction may be that the gaming companies are pumping out more advertising during Christmas.
- I can't understand how you even get to advertise something that is so addictive and harmful to people.
Read more about this: Alarmet: More people are looking for help during Christmas
Gaming company: "We try to adapt their marketing"Hans Uhrus, communications director at the gaming company Leo Vegas, tells SVT News West that it is natural for more people to play during Christmas and that gaming companies also increase their marketing.
- What we can see is that people are playing more during the holidays, there is simply more time, and then it naturally occurs that we increase our marketing. On Monday, it will be noticed that the advertising of football will increase as it is very popular with the English league's game then, he says.
But don't you create a greater demand with increased advertising?
- It's always the question of what is the chicken or the egg, we advertise when we see that there is an interest in our game, he says.
But do you think it is responsible to increase the advertising during the leave?
- You can have an unhealthy relationship with many things, e.g. alcohol, shopping, food, there are many who have some kind of addiction, but I think you have to find solutions other than banning advertising.
But the system company doesn't advertise?
- I also think that you can see an increase in gambling problems around vacancies because people simply have more time to play then, and when a player with an unhealthy relationship with games does not eg. need to go to work there is more time to play, the same goes for other addictions.