Callers to StopSpillet are able to receive advice and guidance on responsible gambling and gambling harm from counsellors, who aim to help players find out which available options will best help support them.
Statistics published by the regulator today (16 May) show that 50% of those contacting the helpline started gambling at the age of 17 or younger, with a further 38% aged between 18 and 25 when they started.
That means just 12% of those contacting the helpline had their first experience of gambling after the age of 25.
The legal age for gambling in Denmark is 18.
The regulator pointed to studies showing that the younger a player is when they begin gambling, the greater their risk of developing a gambling addiction.
On average, players contacting StopSpillet had been experiencing gambling problems for around two years and seven months, the DGA added.In addition to gamblers contacting the helpline themselves, StopSpillet also receives inquiries from professionals and relatives of individuals experiencing gambling harms.
Relatives contacting the helpline on behalf of others account for almost 39% of inquiries, the DGA said, with around half of those coming from parents.
A further 17% of relative inquiries come from problem gamblers’ partners, 9% from siblings and 7% from friends, with the remaining 17% of inquiries coming from others, such as players’ children.The DGA said it is working continuously to spread awareness of the StopSpillet helpline, through TV and social media campaigns as well as outdoor advertising at bus stops and train stations.
In 2022, the regulator carried out a major campaign focused on major sporting events such as the Tour de France and FIFA World Cup.
Last month, it was revealed that more than 40,000 Danish gamblers had signed up to the regulator’s ROFUS self-exclusion register since its launch in 2012.