Vem bryr sig om spelmissbrukaren?

Who cares about the people with a gambling abuse? Gambling abuse is a problem that has been getting more and more attention in the media and through the people that work with the subject. The Swedish state has monopoly on gambling in Sweden but the Internet makes it possible for international gambling companies to reach customers in Sweden. This in return makes it harder for the Swedish state and its municipalities to handle the spread of gambling and gambling abuse in Sweden. The purpose of this study was to examine in which degree and manner different participants in Sweden take responsibility for the people with a gambling abuse. We mainly examined the Swedish state and its municipalities as well as Svenska Spel which is the state-controlled company that offers the majority of gambling in Sweden. Who’s responsibility is it; What effect does the monopoly have and what do the participants think of the monopoly. To answer our study we made a qualitative analysis where we partly collected nine articles and partly performed three interviews. The material was then presented and analysed on the basis of discourse and account-theory. Our study showed that it is difficult for the municipalities and their social services to prioritize gambling abuse, partly due to funding issues but also due to the fact that gambling abuse is not written into the social service law in the same manner as alcohol or drug abuse. The participants seemed unanimous in the opinion that the state is to hold mainly responsible for the situation that exists and the possibilities to improve it, but at the same time everyone has to take responsibility and do their best to help the people with gambling abuse