Gamblers' Perceptions of the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Their Gambling Behaviours: Analysis of Free-Text Responses Collected through a Cross-Sectional Online Survey.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought drastic changes to the lives of a substantial portion of the world's population. Many stakeholders have expressed concern about the impact of the pandemic on gambling practices, which have historically increased during times of crisis. The purpose of this study was to provide a snapshot of the impact of the pandemic on gambling practices, focusing on the lived experiences of people who gamble. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted between 16 February and 15 March 2021. An open-ended question allowed the participants to describe in their own words the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their gambling practices. A qualitative analysis was conducted based on 724 responses to this question. Among the participants, 57% were problem gamblers, according to their Problem Gambling Severity Index score. Three themes were identified: (1) changes in gambling practices perceived by the respondents during the pandemic, (2) the impacts of these changes, and (3) the factors that influenced the changes in their gambling practices. A meaningful proportion of the sample of gamblers felt that their gambling practices had increased during the pandemic. Many of them did not report the deleterious effects of this increase, whereas others were devastated. Thus, variations in gambling practices during the pandemic must be interpreted with caution, as they may reflect a variety of realities.