Gambling addiction: Mindelheim advice center assumes increase due to lockdowns

Created: 04/21/2022, 08:39

By: Marco Tobisch

According to the federal government, around 430,000 Germans are addicted to gambling.

In Mindelheim, it is expected that this number will soon increase.

© Symbolic photo: Panthermedia

Mindelheim – According to the federal government, around 430,000 Germans are addicted to gambling.

According to Ursula Hiller, Acting Head of the Psychosocial Counseling Center (PSB) Mindelheim, the impact of Corona cannot yet be proven using figures.

However, according to Hiller, it can be assumed that the lockdowns have favored problems with gambling in many households.

The same routine every day with home office or short-time work, hardly any evening programs or time with friends, no more sporting balance and all in all hardly any sense of achievement.

The fact that the general mood was dampened during Corona and that frustration grew on some days was similar to many people in the lockdown.

"If I have a flashing machine in front of me in this situation, which praises me and gives me a sense of achievement, that triggers me," explains Nico Salvo, psychologist at PSB.

Of course, not every player is then equally addicted to gambling - but there is a danger in "always wanting more" if the personality structure and the social environment are unstable.

Retreat in Corona

While arcades also had their problems during the Corona period due to forced breaks, online gambling experienced a real boom, says Salvo.

Family fathers in particular have fled from the PC and often also into the world of online games.

In cases like these, gambling would have offered a kind of "retreat," says Salvo.

In other cases it was just about bridging the boredom.

When asked when wives would have to worry about their husbands' gambling behavior, Salvo and Hiller answered: "If I play once a week, it is most likely not an addiction, but there is a risk." Anyone who wants to take the test themselves , can answer the "ICD-10", a list of criteria from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Ursula Hiller (from left) and Nico Salvo advise in Mindelheim on the subject of gambling addiction, among other things.

Corona has increased the addiction problem, they recently explained in an interview with the weekly KURIER.

© Tobisch

Typical characteristics are, for example, that social contacts and everyday life are severely neglected and thoughts only revolve around playing.

And: “Gambling becomes visible through finances.

Friends are often begged for money, but reasons other than gambling are put forward for the lack of money,” explains Ursula Hiller.

The gambling addiction is therefore usually the first thing noticed by the close circle of acquaintances.

 “I had everything up to half a million that was gambled away.

Entire houses were also gambled away.”

Nico Salvo, psychologist at the PSB

In such a case, the PSB in Mindelheim offers all those affected one-on-one talks, also over the phone and anonymously.

"Gambling addiction is very shameful," says Nico Salvo.

That's why many don't come to the PSB directly from Mindelheim, but also from the Ostallgäu, for example.

Salvo reveals that he has already experienced many violent stories – without going into detail, of course.

“I had everything up to half a million that was gambled away.

Entire houses were also gambled away.”

Affected people can get help from the PSB.

How many appointments does it then take to be "cured" from the addiction?

"An addiction problem is a lifelong task," explains Ursula Hiller.

"It's about learning how to deal with the addiction." In concrete terms, this means that the feeling of happiness that arises when the coin is inserted into the machine must be satisfied by the person concerned through other activities.

"We want to help learn that," says Hiller.

Creeping process in sports betting

Incidentally, gambling addiction is not just about online games and slot machines, says the current PSB manager.

Hiller also sees a danger in stock trading or sports betting - especially in the latter: "I know my way around sports and can predict the result" is the prevailing opinion here.

Anyone who occasionally bets small amounts on football games here is of course not immediately addicted, says Hiller.

But here, too, there is potential: "It depends on the person and whether they can stop," explains Nico Salvo.

"If you gradually expand the sports area with your bets and at some point regularly make risk bets with, for example, a 4:1 with a goal in the 80th minute, you can also speak of gambling addiction here."

Hiller and Salvo assume that the number of gambling addicts will soon increase in the Lower Allgäu.

How Corona has affected is not yet measurable.

As Hiller believes, the psychosocial maturation process of children and young people suffered extremely during this time and could possibly encourage addictions.

For older people - according to Hiller, the typical age for gambling addicts is between 30 and 50 years - financial problems due to Corona would also have meant that, with a little luck, they would like to polish up their liquidity at slot machines or with online games.

"I don't want to demonize gambling, but the potential for addiction is high," emphasizes Ursula Hiller.

She assumes that the number of cases will increase in the next few years – how drastic remains to be seen.

Marco Tobisch

About the PSB:

• Since the summer of 2019, the PSB has had its own counseling center in the rooms at Maximilianstraße 2 above the Sparkasse with daily opening hours.

There are also external consultation days in Bad Wörishofen and Babenhausen.

• In addition to gambling addiction, the PSB helps with problems with alcohol, drugs, medication, eating disorders, shopping and hypersexuality.

• The PSB can be reached (also anonymously) on Tel. 08261/6100 or email to

.