Danish Gambling Authority Initiative Targets Young Gamblers

Spillemyndigheden, the Danish Gambling Authority (DGA), has announced the launch of a nationwide campaign that is aimed directly at the under-18s age group and explains that there can be consequences to gambling.

Gambling in Denmark is restricted to people who are 18 and over, however, the DGA revealed that a recent study it carried out suggested that 15% of the youth aged 15 to 17 in the country had gambled at some point in the last year.

Young people under the age of 18 in Denmark find ways to gamble, for example, through friends or family or through online gambling sites without a Danish licence. We know that the younger you are when you make your gambling debut, the more likely you are to develop a gaming problem later on.
That's why, for the first time, we're targeting under-18s directly, and we're doing it in a new, creative way that turns the whole thing on its head. This is necessary if we are to remind young people of the risks of gambling and, not least, that the house always wins in the long run; gambling is not a way to make quick and easy money.

Anders DorphDirector of the Danish Gambling Authority

Campaign Launches Character called "The One-Armed Bandit"

The campaign that the DGA is running has a theme based around a central fictional character called "The One-Armed Bandit". The character is meant to be a representation of gambling addiction and features in social media posts and YouTube platforms. These humorous media videos are used to educate young people about the potential problems that may be encountered when gambling.

The DGA has also enlisted the help of the comedian Martin Høgsted and social influencer David Minerba to help raise awareness of issues of problem gambling without stigmatizing any individuals who reach out for help.

As part of the initiative, Spillemyndigheden has provided help and advice for parents by launching a website called StyrPåSpillet. The site contains information for parents on a range of gambling-related subjects, including how to engage with vulnerable children on gambling subjects.

The Danish government is determined to tackle the issue of problem gambling among young people and minors and has earmarked a figure of DKK 30 million to be allocated to this scheme over the next three years.