Svenska Spel commits SEK5m to gambling addiction research

Sweden-facing operator Svenska Spel has announced that it will make a further SEK5m (£412,970/€444,748/$481,213) in grants available this year to research projects focused on gambling addiction.

Parties interested in the grants have until 30 April to submit their application to secure funding from the 2020 round.

Funds from the initiative can be used to support research projects into addiction, preventive measures against gambling-related problems, gaming responsibilities and risk and protective factors.

Svenska Spel’s Research Council will again oversee the application process, with support from the Swedish Central Association for Alcohol and Drug Information (CAN).

The operator launched the funding scheme in 2010 and has awarded SEK5m in grants each year since.

In 2019, Svenska Spel issued grants to a number of projects, including one that aimed to map gambling addiction among professional ice hockey players in Sweden.

Another grant was awarded to a project to help fund the development of a new internet-based addiction treatment service, while another was issued to an initiative focused on the connection between trauma and problem gambling in women.