”Speldjävulen är ett fysatans påfund som man har hamnat i klorna på” - en netnografisk studie om spelmissbrukares upplevelser av ekonomiska problem

Sammanfattning: Problem gambling is a serious social problem that can have significant negative impacts on an individual's life in various ways. Considering that preventing and combating problem gambling is one of the stated goals in the Swedish social services act, it is essential for social workers to understand how problem gamblers view problems related to their gambling. In this study, I have examined how self-professed problem gamblers on the Swedish online forum Flashback describe financial problems due to their gambling. The study had a qualitative approach, using a netnographic method in which my empirical data was gathered through non-participatory observations. The data was analyzed using Erving Goffman's Stigma theory and the economy-shame model. The findings in this study show that problem gamblers describe how they have faced severe financial consequences due to their gambling, including accruing large sums of debts and often doing so in a short period. The findings also include descriptions from problem gamblers of how they can’t pay their bills and have to gamble to win back losses because of their gambling debts. The results also show that problem gamblers may experience feelings of shame because of their gambling debts both in regard to their self-image and their relationships and they may encounter stigmatization because of their financial problems.