Swedish casino, lottery and sports betting operator Svenska Spel is to establish a research council to provide SEK5m ($769,000) a year in funding to tackle problem gambling.
The council, which comprises of experienced researchers from a number of fields, will evaluate funding applications based on their "scientific quality and social relevance."
"It is high time we gave researchers the opportunity to gain knowledge about gaming and preventative measures for problem gambling," said Margareta Winberg, chair of Svenska Spel. "This is a complex and urgent question, not least for the two per cent of the population with a gaming problem and their families."
According to the company, problem gambling remains an under-represented area of study compared with alcohol and narcotics dependency.
"As a public corporation, Svenska Spel has a special duty to focus on and prevent problem gambling," added Stefan Borg, a member of the company’s board and chair of the research council. "With the input of the research council, we hope to increase knowledge and find out more about gaming and preventative work on problem gambling."
