Svenska Spel's independent research council says it has received a record number of applications to launch gambling harm prevention research projects.
Seven proposals for research have been successful out of the 18 applicants – almost double the 2023 figure.
They will receive a share of the SEK5.9m (£437,128) slated to fund the work – one of the biggest grants ever awarded.
“It is absolutely proof that gaming research is today an urgent social issue in need of more knowledge and evidence,” said Sara Lindholm Larsson, chair of the Swedish gambling operator’s research council.
“This year's applications maintained a very high quality, which is a direct effect of more research collaborations and new creative ideas. The council is finding it increasingly difficult to choose who will receive funding each year, which is exactly what we want.”
The biggest portion of money has gone to Philip Linder of the Karolinska Institutet, who will use his SEK1.7m (£) to investigate the casual effect of gambling advertising.
The project aims to determine whether gambling advertising really leads to increased gambling and, if so, how much, and which groups are most affected.
Using advanced statistical methods, the study will analyse how exposure to gambling advertising affects gambling behaviour in real-life situations.
