Svenska Spel grants SEK 2.2m for Swedish research on gambling addiction

Svenska Spel's independent research council has granted four new projects a total of more than SEK 2.2m to further boost Sweden’s gambling addiction studies.
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Svenska Spel’s independent research council has granted four new research projects a total of more than SEK 2.2m to further strengthen Sweden’s studies on gambling addiction.

The four projects that have been given funds are Jakob Jonsson, Center for Psychiatric Research, Karolinska Institutet; Sofia Vadlin, Center for Clinical Research, Region Västmanland; Anna Söderpalm Gordh, Sahlgrenska Academy; and Tobias Elgan, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet.

Jakob Jonsson has been granted SEK 727,892 for a study on “Use and effects of self-testing as a gambling responsibility measure”, which will investigate if the gaming habits self-tests that Swedish gaming companies offer to customers actually have any effect on gambling behaviour. It will also look at if the effect differs between “normal players” and high consumers of games.

Sofia Vadlin has been awarded SEK 500,000 for the project “Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on gambling behaviour and gambling problems”, which will examine what gambling behaviour looked like before and during the pandemic and what special risk or protective factors define if a person develops gambling problems or not. It will also follow up on whether computer gambling and loot boxes affect money gambling in young adults.

Anna Söderpalm Gordh has received SEK 500,000 for the study “Computer game addiction: A clinical treatment study”, which will evaluate the effect of a newly developed 15-week CBT-based treatment manual for computer game addiction.

Tobias Elgan has been granted SEK 500,000 for the project “Elite football players, problem gambling and prevention strategies”, which aims to develop preventive measures against gambling problems and other risk behaviours among Sweden’s male elite football players. If the measures work, they could be spread to lower division football clubs and other sports.

Sara Lindholm, Chair of Svenska Spel’s independent research council, commented: “This year’s applications were both high quality and showed breadth. It is important and socially important that we continue to support research that aims to develop evidence-based methods to counteract gambling.

“In addition, it is important that research can help society develop new treatment methods for gambling addiction.”

The council has distributed SEK 45m to 35 different research projects and scientific studies since it was established in 2010.