According to NTB’s report based on the report from Blue Cross Norway, the immigrant population of Norway are the most vulnerable group in gambling addiction.
Sociologist and the project manager Silje Hirsch said that it can be both stressful and burdensome to adapt to the Norwegian culture and those who cannot succeed in adaptation easily get trapped into gambling problem.
The report points that immigrant communities usually meet with gambling due to long processing time for residence and family reunification, and difficulty in getting a job. Many of the respondents believe that gambling makes it easier for immigrants to survive in Norway.
Hirsch emphasized that many of these people report their first encounter with slot machines were in Norway. Therefore, they have little knowledge about the problem. She also noted that these people usually lose contact with their families.
The report showed that 0.7 percent of those born in Norway has a gambling problem, while 4.7 percent of immigrants have gambling addiction.
