First bet for most problem players from Denmark was placed under age of 25

Since its establishment in 2019, StopSpillet has received close to 2,500 calls. Recently, Spillemyndigheden has shared data from its helpline, StopSpillet.

New data on problem gambling has been released by the Danish gambling regulator, Spillemyndigheden, obtained through its national helpline, StopSpillet. According to the data, a significant majority (88%) of individuals facing gambling-related issues placed their first bets before the age of 25.

According to Spillemyndigheden, the national helpline StopSpillet has received close to 2,500 calls since its launch in 2019. Callers are routinely asked about the timing of their initial bets.

Surprisingly, 50 percent of the callers admitted to placing their first bet before the legal gambling age of 18, with the majority having done so before the age of 17. On average, players sought help from the helpline after gambling for approximately two years and seven months.

Of all the calls received, concerned relatives made up 39 percent. Parents of players accounted for half of these calls, while partners and siblings constituted 17 percent each.

The effectiveness of StopSpillet

In a recent report, Spillemyndigheden shared the findings of a study conducted on Denmark’s gambling helpline. The results indicated that the helpline successfully met its targets and fulfilled the necessary criteria. The study revealed that 87 percent of the callers were male, with 35 percent of them falling within the age range of 18 to 25.

The report stated,

“The study highlights a general rise in gambling issues among both adults and young individuals. The survey figures suggest that a larger number of people could benefit from being aware of and utilizing StopSpillet.”