Denmarks StopSpillet gaming helpline has taken in almost 3,000 calls since its start in 2019.
StopSpillet is a professional gaming hotline operated by the Danish regulatory body Spillemyndigheden. It was formally launched on January 1, 2019, to offer support and guidance to people in Denmark who are worried about their gaming habits.
A recent report indicates that StopSpillet has received 2,933 calls for guidance since its beginning. The data suggests that a considerable portion of these callers are connected to gaming problems. Over 1,650 calls, or 56% of the total, were made by players themselves.
Furthermore, 1,150 calls, or 40% of the total, came from family members of players. Of these calls, approximately half were from parents contacting StopSpillet. Meanwhile, 4% of calls came from professionals.
Concerning the ongoing development of StopSpillet, the report states: “The Gambling Authority has been working to increase public awareness of StopSpillet, for instance, through awareness campaigns.
“When players, relatives, or professionals contact the helpline, trained advisors answer the calls. The advisors are constantly striving to enhance their knowledge and abilities.”
Digital gaming is the most frequent reason for contacting StopSpillet.
When individuals reach out to StopSpillet, the helpline inquires about the games they engage in to pinpoint where issues are most prevalent.
StopSpillet disclosed that 67% of calls are related to virtual casinos and online wagering. Traditional betting and physical slot machines represent 20%, and individuals also mentioned poker and brick-and-mortar casino gaming.
When individuals contact StopSpillet, they can also partake in a test to ascertain if they have a problematic relationship with gambling.
StopSpillet revealed that, on average, callers achieve a score of 5.94 on a scale ranging from 0 to 9, with a score of 4 or higher signifying that the individual has a gambling issue.
Early StopSpillet data pinpointed a concern regarding youthful gambling in Denmark.
This recent StopSpillet report follows data from May 2023, when Spillemyndigheden discovered that 88% of helpline callers placed their initial wager at the age of 25 or younger.
Despite the legal gambling age in Denmark being 18, 50% of callers placed their first bet before reaching the age of 17.
Research released in November indicated that 4% of StopSpillet calls originated from gamers under the age of 18.
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