Last year, the Netherlands, and also the rest of the world, closed due to the crisis caused by the coronavirus. In the meantime, we are more than a year later and there are still many limitations in our daily lives. In the meantime, the vaccines are being distributed, the curfew has been lifted and the terraces are open again to a limited extent. In this blog, we look at the consequences of corona on gambling, gaming, and the addiction that can arise.
Duration of the corona crisis
In January 2020, the coronavirus was in the news more and in February the first infection in the Netherlands was a fact. In mid-March, our daily lives changed; we went into lockdown and had to work from home, except for people with essential professions. Many shops had to close their doors, including casinos and game stores. But there is still online casino such as s188plays where you can play. Whenever possible, the world moved to the internet, which has not been a problem for gambling and gaming. In the summer everything seemed to be going a bit better, but at the beginning of the autumn there was another partial lockdown and before the holidays a new lockdown started. In total, the full lockdown has been about six months and daily life, which is limited, is now slowly creeping towards one and a half years.
Lockdown: less rhythm, less to do, less meeting
Many things in our lives were paralyzed or severely restricted. A large part of the work came to a standstill and studies and education no longer took place in the schools. This created a huge gap in the interpretation of daily life. Where you first had obligations to go somewhere, suddenly seas of time arose. What did you do with that time? Partying, going somewhere together, or even meeting others became extremely limited. What was still possible online in all that time? Gambling and gaming. If you were already a lot of gambling or gaming, then this was the time to go wild. Initially tasty, but for some this has gotten completely out of hand, eventually resulting in a game or gambling addiction. You can no longer stop even if you would like to, you become more and more self-conscious so that you can gamble or game.
More young people addicted
In the groups we work with at Hervitas, there are more and more young people. They are gambling or gaming addicts. They are in their early 30s, but sometimes not even 20 years old. The minimum age at which we treat is 18 years old, but parents regularly call because they think their teen has problems with gaming. Gambling is also happening at an increasingly younger age and betting on sports competitions continues to become more popular. It often starts with football matches, but there is almost always a (live) match at the sports bookmakers. Boredom and extra time make gambling and gaming an easy escape from a world that otherwise seems to be on pause.
More gambling or gaming, now what?
Have you started gambling or gaming more because of corona and the lockdown? Check out our other blogs for tips on how to handle gambling or gaming better. Do you really have a problem and think you might be addicted? fill it and we will contact you to see how we can help you. Hervitas is the only healthcare institution in the Netherlands that specializes in gambling and game addiction. In our treatment program, you will get to work in three weeks with other people who are in the same situation as you. You not only get to know others with the same problem but also yourself and what the reason for gambling or gaming is for you. New groups start every three weeks so that we can help you quickly with your problem. Our waiting time is only a week on average. Do not hesitate any longer and start working on your recovery.