Svenska Spel hails impact of independent research council
The Swedish gambling operator says its Independent Research Council on Gambling Risks and Addiction has provided over €10m in funding.
Sweden.- The state-controlled gambling operator Svenska Spel has hailed the impact of its Independent Research Council on Gambling Risks and Addiction as the initiative enters its fifteenth year. The Swedish gambling operator said the independent council has now awarded over SEK 100m (€10m) in funding for projects that provide insights into problem gambling.
The operator said it received a record number of applications for funding in 2024 and allocated SEK 6m (€650,000) for seven new research projects. The areas of focus for the latest supported projects include the comorbidity of problem gambling with other mental illnesses, the impact of gambling advertising and a study on whether micro-transactions in games influence gambling behaviours.
Svenska Spel stressed that it is committed to funding first-of-their-kind projects to help Swedish authorities and health agencies learn more about gambling addiction and behaviours.
Sara Lindholm Larsson, the independent chair of the Svenska Spel Research Council, said: “We see a growing need to understand gambling problems in a broader societal context. Much of the focus is on mental health, particularly among young people. It is a positive development that means we can contribute knowledge that truly makes a difference.”
Anna Johnson, president and CEO of Svenska Spel, said: “It is natural for the gaming market to develop, but it must be done in a responsible manner. By supporting research and spreading knowledge, we want to contribute to a more sustainable gaming market where risks are reduced.”
Swedish gambling reforms and Svenska Spel results
Full-year market figures for 2024 show that Swedish gambling revenue rose by 2.65 per cent year-on-year to SEK27.85bn (€2.49bn). However, Svenska Spel’s full-year revenue of SEK7.74bn (€683.9m) was down by 3.7 per cent year-on-year following the closure of two land-based Casino Cosmopol venues early in the year.
The impact of social responsibility measures and the hike in Sweden’s gambling tax also hurt results. Revenue was down in three out of the operator’s four core segments. Logically, Casino Cosmopol carried the brunt of the downturn, with revenue down 65.1 per cent following the closure of its Gothenburg and Malmö casinos in January 2024. Only the flagship Stockholm casino remains, and there have been signs that the government may push Svenska Spel to close the land-based casino business completely.
The government of Sweden is beginning a review of the Gambling Act 2018, which is likely to lead to new measures and powers for the gambling regulator Spelinspektionen. The government has appointed Marcus Isgren, chairman and head of the Swedish Board of Consumer Complaints (ARN), as the investigator who will lead a review of the legislation.
