Spillemyndigheden: Many Danes Start Gambling Before Turning 18

The Spillemyndigheden, Denmark’s gambling regulator, has published data about its StopSpillet helpline. The helpline was launched in 2019 and has so far received thousands of people with gambling problems.

Since launching, StopSpillet has received almost 2,500 inquiries via phone and chat, helping many problem players receive the help they need. The helpline is designed to help struggling players, their relatives or professionals get the advice they need to tackle gambling harm. People living in the country should contact the helpline if they feel that they are gambling too much or that a relative is becoming a problem player.

In 2022, the Spillemyndigheden continued to promote its StopSpillet helpline, advertised its solutions via TV and social media campaigns and spread awareness of it via bus stop and train station advertising.

In addition, 2022 saw the regulator launch major campaigns amid popular sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup tournament and Tour de France.

Important StopSpillet Statistics

The Spillemyndigheden posted statistics about the people who contacted the StopSpillet, remarking on certain curious findings. Most notably, it turns out that most of the people who contacted the helpline had begun wagering young.

According to data published by the regulator, 88% of the problem players who sought StopSpillet’s help, had placed their first bet when they hadn’t even turned 25. Even more concerningly, it turns out that a whopping 50% of bettors had started gambling before they were even 18.

This shows that many have placed their wager illegally, sparking concerns about the integrity of the Danish gaming market.

The authority also published statistics about the people who contacted the authority on behalf of another person. Half of those people, the regulator informed, were the parents of a problem gambler. Seventeen percent contacted the helpline because of a partner with addictive tendencies, while nine percent of the calls came from a problem player’s siblings. Seven percent of the people who sought StopSpillet because of someone else were friends of the gambler and seventeen percent were the player’s children or other relatives or acquaintances.

Meanwhile, a new Danish Gambling Committee launched a probe into problem gambling, seeking to make the market safer for high-risk customers.

In other news, Denmark just concluded the consultation period for its player ID inspection standards. This came in the wake of the introduction of an order requiring Danish casinos to register all players before allowing them to play.