Spillemyndigheden’s gambling education programme boosts youth awareness

Denmark’s gambling regulator says its classroom programme is helping young people better understand gambling, its financial mechanics and the protections associated with licensed operators. A new report from Spillemyndigheden, the Danish Gambling Authority, records differences in students’ responses following educational presentations. The findings suggest that gambling education may improve awareness, although the research does not establish lasting changes in individual behaviour.

The programme covers gambling products, game mechanics and the risks associated with treating gambling as a source of income. Its central message is that gambling should be viewed as paid entertainment rather than a dependable way to make money. Spillemyndigheden offers the presentations free of charge to schools, youth education programmes and associations.

Survey records responses from almost 2,000 students

The report examines presentations delivered between September 2024 and March 2025. Spillemyndigheden collected 1,433 questionnaire responses before the sessions and 534 in a follow-up survey sent three to six weeks afterwards, producing 1,967 responses in total.

Students were generally between 16 and 20 years old. Questionnaires were distributed to entire classes before a scheduled presentation and again afterwards. As responses could not be matched to individual students, researchers compared the two sets of results rather than tracking each participant’s personal development.

The Authority also acknowledged that it could not verify whether every respondent had attended the presentation. Although it considered the number of possible absences likely to be small, this introduced some uncertainty into the findings.

Students gain a broader understanding of gambling

One of the clearest findings concerned students’ understanding of what counts as gambling. The Authority said many students initially did not recognise that scratchcards, including Christmas calendar scratchcards, are gambling products. After this was explained, some respondents realised they had previously participated in gambling without identifying it as such.

Among female respondents, the proportion who said they had tried gambling rose from 19% in the initial survey to 48% in the follow-up. The report specifically cautions against interpreting this difference as an increase in gambling participation following the sessions. Instead, it attributes the change to a better understanding of activities that had already taken place, particularly scratchcard purchases.

The distinction is important because survey answers can be influenced by how respondents understand the term gambling. Someone who does not consider a scratchcard to be a gambling product may report no previous experience despite having participated in an activity that falls within that category.

Special consultant Heine Jakobsen, who is part of the Authority’s presentation team, described the knowledge gap: “There is a general ignorance about which areas are defined as gambling, so it is an eye-opener for many, especially girls, when we tell them that scratchcards, such as Christmas calendar scratchcards, are also gambling,” he said.

Awareness of licensed operators also increases

The report points to stronger awareness of Denmark’s gambling licensing system. Among male students asked about their attention to licensing, the proportion who said they were highly or very highly aware of whether an operator held a Danish gambling licence rose from 39% before the presentation to 61% afterwards.

The Danish Gambling Authority’s label helps consumers identify operators authorised to offer gambling in Denmark. The presentations explain why checking an operator’s licensing status matters and why underage people should not use gambling services. The report identifies the typical audience as students aged 16 to 20 and stresses that gambling on licensed websites is only permitted from the age of 18.

The follow-up survey also showed broad agreement with several central messages delivered during the presentations.

Some 77% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that gambling games have a return-to-player percentage below 100%. More than 80% supported the statement that the Authority’s logo indicates a Danish licence while 77% agreed that gambling should be regarded as entertainment rather than a way to earn money.

Around 74% agreed that making a financial profit from gambling over time is mathematically unlikely. This reflects another important aspect of the programme, which explains how return-to-player percentages and mathematical probabilities influence the long-term financial outcome of gambling.

Approximately 69% of follow-up respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they had control over how much they gambled. However, the figures represent students’ own assessments rather than an independent measurement of their gambling behaviour.

Spillemyndigheden director Anders Dorph welcomed the reported findings: “The fact that we can see in black and white that our presentations make a difference naturally makes me very happy and proud of our efforts,” he said.

Findings require careful interpretation

Although the survey provides useful information about knowledge and reported attitudes, its methodology has limitations. The unequal number of responses and the inability to link individual questionnaires mean the research cannot establish precisely how a particular student changed their views.

It also does not demonstrate whether the reported improvements continued over a longer period or translated into lasting changes in gambling decisions.

Further research involving matched participants and longer follow-up periods would help establish whether improved awareness leads to sustained changes in behaviour. For now, the findings provide an indication of how students responded to information about gambling products, game mechanics, return-to-player percentages and licensing.

The results nevertheless offer useful insight into the potential role of responsible gambling education. Explaining the underlying mechanics of gambling may help young people recognise risks that are otherwise less obvious, particularly when gambling-related activities are presented as ordinary entertainment.

Campaign broadens the discussion to video games

The report was published on 29 October 2026, shortly after Spillemyndigheden introduced another public awareness initiative on 26 October. The campaign, titled “Casino in the Children’s Room”, is aimed at parents and draws attention to gambling-like mechanics that may appear in video games used by children and young people.

As part of the initiative, the Authority arranged for three shopfronts to be decorated under the name “Casino Kids”. The installations are located at Bruuns Galleri in Aarhus, Vestergade in Odense and Købmagergade in Copenhagen.

The displays are campaign installations rather than real casinos. Their purpose is to attract public attention and encourage parents to consider the content of the games their children play rather than focusing exclusively on the amount of time spent in front of screens.

The campaign also includes a film showing a child’s bedroom being transformed into a casino. Through this visual approach, the Authority seeks to highlight how gambling-like features can become part of ordinary digital entertainment.

Parents and professionals are also directed towards the StyrPåSpillet knowledge platform. It provides information about gambling-related harm and guidance on discussing gaming, gambling features and potential risks with young people.

Conclusion

Spillemyndigheden’s findings underline the importance of explaining gambling in terms that young people can recognise in their everyday lives. The increased awareness surrounding scratchcards illustrates how gambling activity can go unnoticed when people do not fully understand the definition. Greater attention to licensing marks also suggests that practical information about regulation can become more visible following direct educational sessions.

However, the report should be understood as an assessment of survey responses rather than definitive evidence that classroom presentations have permanently changed behaviour. Its value lies in identifying areas where understanding appears to have improved and where further education may be beneficial.

The regulator’s approach also recognises that gambling awareness cannot be separated entirely from the wider digital environment. Video games, interactive rewards and gambling-related mechanics create additional challenges for parents and educators who are trying to understand the experiences of younger audiences.

By combining information about gambling products with explanations of game mechanics, licensing protections and financial probabilities, Spillemyndigheden is addressing an important consumer awareness issue. The objective is not simply to tell young people what they should avoid but to help them understand why certain activities carry financial risks.

Ultimately, effective gambling education depends on more than short-term improvements in questionnaire responses. Its longer-term value will be determined by whether young people retain that knowledge and apply it when encountering gambling products or gambling-like features in digital entertainment. The Danish initiative provides an encouraging indication of what structured education can achieve while leaving room for further research into its lasting effects.

FAQs

What is the main purpose of Spillemyndigheden’s gambling education programme?
The programme aims to improve young people's understanding of gambling products, game mechanics, financial risks and the importance of choosing appropriately licensed operators.

When were the educational presentations delivered?
The presentations examined in the report took place between September 2024 and March 2025 at youth education institutions.

How many students participated in the research?
The study analysed 1,967 questionnaire responses, including 1,433 collected before the presentations and 534 collected during the follow-up survey.

What age group was included in the study?
Participants were generally between 16 and 20 years old, although the exact ages varied among the educational institutions.

Why did recognition of previous gambling increase among female students?
Many students did not initially recognise scratchcards and Christmas calendar scratchcards as gambling products. The increased percentage reflected better awareness of previous participation rather than evidence of increased gambling activity.

What happened to awareness of Danish gambling licences?
Among male respondents, the proportion reporting high or very high awareness of operator licensing increased from 39% before the presentations to 61% afterwards.

What does the Danish Gambling Authority’s label represent?
The label identifies gambling operators authorised by the Danish Gambling Authority to provide gambling services in Denmark.

What percentage of students felt in control of their gambling?
Approximately 69% of follow-up respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they had control over how much they gambled.

What is the Casino in the Children’s Room campaign?
It is a Spillemyndigheden awareness initiative launched in October 2026 to help parents recognise gambling-like mechanics that may appear in video games used by children and young people.

Can schools request free gambling education presentations?
Yes. Spillemyndigheden offers free presentations to schools, youth education institutions and associations across Denmark.