Denmark’s gambling authority, Spillemyndigheden, has reported that its problem gambling education initiative is starting to bear fruit.

At the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) conference in Toronto, the regulator was distinguished with the “Best Responsible/Safer Gambling Initiative” award.

Accepting the award was Anders Dorph, Director of Spillemyndigheden, who emphasised that the educational campaign has now reached more than 200 schools since 2022.

What counts as success, however, might be open to interpretation, with the statistics put forward by Spillemyndigheden at the event missing some important context.

The regulator reported that three months after each educational session was carried out, the percentage of students “gambling to win money” dropped from 64% to 54%.

Meanwhile, those gambling for “entertainment purposes” hiked from 70% to 87% on average, again at the three-month mark after each lesson.

Because of that, the jury ruled that the initiative deserves the award due to its “interactive, school-based education programme that engages young people with practical demonstrations and surveys evidencing shifts away from gambling ‘to make money’ towards safer play and awareness of help services.”

However, the initiative is presented to students in the second or third year of their upper secondary education. In other words, these are students who are either 18 or 17 years old. 

Being 17 means that you’re under the legal age of gambling in Denmark. Since Spillemyndigheden did not say what percentage 17-year-olds make up in their surveys, it begs the question whether that increase from 70% to 87% really made a positive impact, or did it just more children aged 17 towards gambling?

Dorph added: “We are truly honoured to receive this award. It’s vital that young people understand gambling as entertainment – not a shortcut to easy money. 

“By meeting them with honesty and engagement, we’ve managed to make responsible gambling relevant and accessible for our target group. I’m proud that the jury recognised this, and that our work can inspire other regulators around the world.”

SBC News has reached out to Anders Dorph for a comment on the above.