GamblingCONGANCT04714008
Covid-19 and ONline GAmbling
An observational study of Gambling and Covid19, run by Nantes University Hospital at 1 site in France.
Trial summary
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic represents a major threat to global health. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic, all eyes have been focused on the significant somatic complications of COVID-19, but the impact on behaviors, particularly those that can lead to addictive disorders, remains… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- How many people
- 120,000 participants
- Where
- 1 siteFrance
- Study dates
- 1 Dec 2020to 31 Dec 2024
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: Gamblers registered on the authorized gambling websites of France and Sweden, whatever the type of gambling activity.
Who may be able to join
- Gamblers registered on the authorized gambling websites of France and Sweden, whatever the type of gambling activity. Those gamblers will be drawn at random from the entire active accounts datasets from the participating operators/regulatory authorities.
Who cannot join
- No exclusion criteria will be applied
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Online Gambling in France and Sweden
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic represents a major threat to global health. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic, all eyes have been focused on the significant somatic complications of COVID-19, but the impact on behaviors, particularly those that can lead to addictive disorders, remains little studied. A set of factors could explain a change in gambling activities, both in number of gamblers and in intensity of practices, due to the pandemic. On the one hand, the reduction or even the interruption of sporting and horse racing competitions may induce a decrease in these activities (both online and offline). Moreover, the closure of certain gambling venues and travel restrictions may also lead to a decrease of offline gambling activities in general. On the other hand, gamblers who can no longer perform their usual gambling activity could refer to available online gambling activities (poker, lotteries, casinos, etc.). Moreover, the threat of a financial crisis, the negative impact on psychological well-being (due to social isolation, stress of being infected, etc.), and increased time spent freely online, could also very largely motivate an initiation or an exacerbation of the gambling activity, especially online and in people in a situation of vulnerability. Both in France and Sweden, the closing of sports and horse race events has led to a sharp decrease in sports and horse-race betting. In both countries, the increase in other gambling types, including illegal gambling, and their potential for gambling problems is a source of concerns for public health authorities. As a consequence, more research is promptly needed in this area.
The use of gambling tracking data, widely acclaimed in recent years in research on online gambling given its ecological nature, could allow observing longitudinally changes in online gambling practices (both the raw gambling activity and risky behaviors) and in the use of responsible gambling (RG) tools due to the pandemic. Moreover, the combination of French and Swedish data will allow comparing two countries with very distinct politics regarding the pandemics, i.e. a lockdown in France in March - May 2020 and then in November - December 2020 compared to no lockdown in Sweden. Finally, gambling in women is on the rise and women display specific gambling behaviors, especially in early stages of the online gambling practice. The project will include the investigation of gender specificities both in the investigation of the impacts of the pandemic and in the comparison of French and Sweden gambling behaviors. Age, type of gambling activity and country (France / Sweden) will also be taken into account.
- Keywords
- Gambling, Internet, Gambling tracking data, France, Sweden, Covid 19
- Medical subject headings
- Gambling, COVID-19
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Active gamblers in 2019/2020 | Three panels of 40 000 gamblers active in 2019 and 2020, either in France or Sweden | |
| Newly registered gamblers in 2019 or 2020 (France and Sweden) | Six panels of 10 000 gamblers who newly registered either during the period of March-May 2019 or of March-May 2020, either in France or Sweden |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Trajectories of gambling behaviors across time before and during the pandemics
Because "gambling activity" is not directly measured as such, but rather observed as a combination of gambling indicators (e.g. money spent, type of game, numbers of gambling days, etc.), these indicators will be included as observed variables, explained by a latent (unobserved) variable, namely "gambling activity". Subgroups of gamblers with distinct impacts of the COVID-19 on their gambling activities will be identified.
Measured: 2019-2020
Secondary outcomes (3)
Typologies of gamblers based on their gambling activity and their use of RG tools outside the pandemics
Profiles of gamblers who have similar gambling behaviors and/or use of RG tools
Measured: 2019
Gambling activity of early registered gamblers, during and outside the pandemics
Typologies of gambling behavior trajectories across the 6 months after registration
Measured: 6 months after registration
Typologies of gamblers based on their gambling activity and their use of RG tools according to the type of gambling activity, gender, age groups and country
Profiles of gamblers who have similar gambling behaviors and/or use of RG tools, compared according to the type of gambling activity, gender, age groups and country
Measured: 2019-2020
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted19 Jan 2021
- Study start1 Dec 2020
- Primary completion31 Dec 2024
- Study completion31 Dec 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for GamblingStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Ecologic or community
- Time perspective
- Retrospective
- Enrolment
- 120,000 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Nantes University Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04714008
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- RC21_0010
- Acronym
- CONGA
- Status last verified
- Sep 2025
- First submitted
- 14 Jan 2021
- Last updated
- 1 Oct 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Balem M, Karlsson A, Widinghoff C, Perrot B, Challet-Bouju G, Hakansson A. Gambling and COVID-19: Swedish national gambling data from a state-owned gambling sports and casino operator. J Behav Addict. 2023 Mar 30;12(1):230-241. doi: 10.1556/2006.2022.00089. Print 2023 Mar 30.
PubMed 36995980
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 Oct 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Online Gambling in France and Sweden
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04714008
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- CONGA / RC21_0010
- Keywords
- Gambling, Internet, Gambling tracking data, France, Sweden, Covid 19
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 120,000 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Nantes University HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Dec 2020 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 19 Jan 2021 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic represents a major threat to global health. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic, all eyes have been focused on the significant somatic complications of COVID-19, but the impact on behaviors, particularly those that can lead to addictive disorders, remains little studied. A set of factors could explain a change in gambling activities, both in number of gamblers and in intensity of practices, due to the pandemic. On the one hand, the reduction or even the interruption of sporting and horse racing competitions may induce a decrease in these activities (both online and offline). Moreover, the closure of certain gambling venues and travel restrictions may also lead to a decrease of offline gambling activities in general. On the other hand, gamblers who can no longer perform their usual gambling activity could refer to available online gambling activities (poker, lotteries, casinos, etc.). Moreover, the threat of a financial crisis, the negative impact on psychological well-being (due to social isolation, stress of being infected, etc.), and increased time spent freely online, could also very largely motivate an initiation or an exacerbation of the gambling activity, especially online and in people in a situation of vulnerability. Both in France and Sweden, the closing of sports and horse race events has led to a sharp decrease in sports and horse-race betting. In both countries, the increase in other gambling types, including illegal gambling, and their potential for gambling problems is a source of concerns for public health authorities. As a consequence, more research is promptly needed in this area.
The use of gambling tracking data, widely acclaimed in recent years in research on online gambling given its ecological nature, could allow observing longitudinally changes in online gambling practices (both the raw gambling activity and risky behaviors) and in the use of responsible gambling (RG) tools due to the pandemic. Moreover, the combination of French and Swedish data will allow comparing two countries with very distinct politics regarding the pandemics, i.e. a lockdown in France in March - May 2020 and then in November - December 2020 compared to no lockdown in Sweden. Finally, gambling in women is on the rise and women display specific gambling behaviors, especially in early stages of the online gambling practice. The project will include the investigation of gender specificities both in the investigation of the impacts of the pandemic and in the comparison of French and Sweden gambling behaviors. Age, type of gambling activity and country (France / Sweden) will also be taken into account.
Study design
- Observational model
- Ecologic or community
- Time perspective
- Retrospective
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Active gamblers in 2019/2020 | – | –Three panels of 40 000 gamblers active in 2019 and 2020, either in France or Sweden |
| Newly registered gamblers in 2019 or 2020 (France and Sweden) | – | –Six panels of 10 000 gamblers who newly registered either during the period of March-May 2019 or of March-May 2020, either in France or Sweden |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Gamblers registered on the authorized gambling websites of France and Sweden, whatever the type of gambling activity.
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Gamblers registered on the authorized gambling websites of France and Sweden, whatever the type of gambling activity. Those gamblers will be drawn at random from the entire active accounts datasets from the participating operators/regulatory authorities.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- No exclusion criteria will be applied
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Trajectories of gambling behaviors across time before and during the pandemics
Time frame: 2019-2020
Because "gambling activity" is not directly measured as such, but rather observed as a combination of gambling indicators (e.g. money spent, type of game, numbers of gambling days, etc.), these indicators will be included as observed variables, explained by a latent (unobserved) variable, namely "gambling activity". Subgroups of gamblers with distinct impacts of the COVID-19 on their gambling activities will be identified.
3 secondary outcomes
Typologies of gamblers based on their gambling activity and their use of RG tools outside the pandemics
Time frame: 2019
Gambling activity of early registered gamblers, during and outside the pandemics
Time frame: 6 months after registration
Typologies of gamblers based on their gambling activity and their use of RG tools according to the type of gambling activity, gender, age groups and country
Time frame: 2019-2020
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 1 Oct 2025.
- Results publication: PubMed 36995980Balem M, Karlsson A, Widinghoff C, Perrot B, Challet-Bouju G, Hakansson A. Gambling and COVID-19: Swedish national gambling data from a state-owned gambling sports and casino operator. J Behav Addict. 2023 Mar 30;12(1):230-241. doi: 10.1556/2006.2022.00089. Print 2023 Mar 30.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Gambling and Covid19, run by Nantes University Hospital at 1 site in France.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Oct 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in France. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Trajectories of gambling behaviors across time before and during the pandemics (time frame: 2019-2020). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04714008, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 Oct 2025.