Dutch gaming regulator de Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has launched a gambling harm prevention research programme, developed by Hague-based health organisation ZonMw.
In March 2021, the KSA named ZonMw as one of the groups selected to develop the programme.
The new scheme follows the publication of a study on gambling addiction by Dutch knowledge institute Trimbos in December 2021.
The KSA stated that aim of the programme will be to gather new knowledge on the prevention and treatment of gambling addiction and gambling-related harms, so it can be formed into new treatment measures.
The first funding round for research proposals is expected soon. ZonMw will aim for a mix of both short- and long-term projects, that will lead to both quick results and long-term studies of gambling harms.
Trimbos released a report following the review outlining in the direction in which future research should look:
“The research should focus on the prevention of problems and harm caused by gambling, better treatment of people with gambling problems and tailor-made solutions for vulnerable groups,” the report stated.
“It follows that research is also needed into the physical and digital context of gaming behaviour, including advertising, and the characteristics of gambling products themselves.
“Finally, partly because essential data is centralized within a financially interested party, the infrastructure in research practice also deserves serious attention.”
The programme is funded through the Addiction Prevention Fund. The fund was created under the provisions of the Remote Gambling Act, the law which legalised online gaming in the Netherlands.
The news comes in the context of a Dutch tightening legal regime, with the KSA chair, René Jansen, just days ago calling for the introduction of gambling spending limits .
