TY  - JOUR
AU  - Tjernberg, Johanna
AU  - Helgesson, Sara
AU  - Håkansson, Anders
AU  - Hansson, Helena
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/1/31
TI  - Exploring the Users’ Perspective of the Nationwide Self-Exclusion Service for Gambling Disorder, “Spelpaus”: Qualitative Interview Study
JO  - JMIR Hum Factors
SP  - e66045
VL  - 12
KW  - gambling disorder
KW  - gambling addiction
KW  - behavioral addiction
KW  - harm reduction
KW  - self-exclusion
KW  - voluntary self-exclusion
KW  - Spelpaus
KW  - lived experience
KW  - human factors
KW  - usability
KW  - qualitative study
AB  - Background: Problem gambling and gambling disorder cause severe social, psychiatric, and financial consequences, and voluntary self-exclusion is a common harm reduction tool used by individuals with gambling problems. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore users’ experience of a novel nationwide, multioperator gambling self-exclusion service, “Spelpaus,” in Sweden and to inform stakeholders and policy makers in order to improve harm reduction tools against gambling problems. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 individuals who reported self-perceived gambling problems and who had experience of having used the self-exclusion service Spelpaus in Sweden. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed through qualitative content analysis. Results: We identified 3 categories and 8 subcategories. The categories were (1) reasons for the decision to self-exclude, (2) positive experiences, and (3) suggestions for improvement. The subcategories identified a number of reasons for self-exclusion, such as financial reasons and family reasons, and positive experiences described as a relief from gambling; in addition, important suggestions for improvement were cited, such as a more gradual return to gambling post–self-exclusion, better ways to address loopholes in the system, and transfer from self-exclusion to treatment. Conclusions: Voluntary self-exclusion from gambling, using a nationwide multioperator service, remains an appreciated harm-reducing tool. However, transfer from self-exclusion to treatment should be facilitated by policy making, and loopholes allowing for breaching of the self-exclusion need to be counteracted. 
SN  - 2292-9495
UR  - https://humanfactors.jmir.org/2025/1/e66045
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/66045
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39888656
DO  - 10.2196/66045
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/66045
ER  -