Personal conversations can counteract gambling problems

More elected to restrict gambling after a care call

The study showed that 10 percent who were called chose to limit their gambling after the call. Apparently this may sound like a very low percentage, but of those who could not be reached with a care call, only 5 percent restricted their gambling.

”10% of those called chose to limit their gambling, compared to 5% who did not have a call. ”

Anders Håkansson, professor of Behavioral Medicine at Lund University who conducted the study, explains that it must be borne in mind that these were people who were completely unprepared to receive a phone call. It is something completely different from those who have voluntarily sought help for their gambling. In other words, everyone who was called does not have a problematic gambling behavior and does not necessarily have the need to limit gambling.

The most important result according to Håkansson is that half of all those who had to talk about their gambling habits with a care communicator were twice as likely to change their gambling habits, compared to those without conversations showing a control group. They were also able to see a significant difference in the total freedom of play in the next 2-4 weeks after the call, the biggest difference was with players on online casinos .

The talks were much appreciated

Despite the fact that according to the study results, only 10% actually made more restrictions in their gambling, a full 37% of the participants stated that they reduced their gambling after the call. 80% of those who participated saw the conversation as positive.

Customer data from New Zealand gambling forms the basis of the study

The study results are still unpublished but have been submitted to scientific journals for publication. The study is based on an anonymized customer database at New Zealand spel, which has conducted care calls since 2017.

The purpose of the study is to determine which players are most likely to change their gambling behavior after a conversation, in order to refine their work with responsible gambling and to counteract gambling problems in society.

Read more about responsible gambling at 1080facts . There you can also get information about where to turn if you or someone close to you play too much.