ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the Swedish gambling context and examines problem gambling from a gender perspective. In Sweden, gambling is a very popular activity among both genders even if the gambling market is highly gendered and men generally gamble more often, for more money and on different gambling forms than women. If Sweden really were a leading country in gender equality, it would be plausible that men and women's gambling habits would converge. Another interpretation could be the gambling scene is one arena for a backlash to the intentions of reaching gender equality; a reflection of men's insecurities; that is, because masculinity is in transition, some men need to reinforce traditional behaviour in some areas. An Australian qualitative study found that some women gambled to be seen as standing outside gendered expectations and norms, however, these were not their primary motivations. The chapter concludes that the gambling scene in Sweden is still highly gendered.
