A mandatory loss limit is a step in the right direction
Researcher Ekaterina Ivanova has been researching gaming responsibility for the past four years at Stockholm University in a research project funded by Paf.
The research has focused on gambling, gaming limits, gaming behaviour, attitudes towards gaming tools and the likelihood of predicting gambling problems. Ekaterina believes that research into gambling problems is falling behind.
“We are falling behind with both prevention and treatment from a public health perspective. My colleagues would agree that gambling problems are not taken as seriously as, for example, alcohol abuse. This attitude is reflected, in return, on those affected by gambling – where it can still be seen more as a character problem for those people rather than a disease,” says Ekaterina Ivanova.
The research is built on real gaming data
In addition to giving the research financial support, Paf has also provided access to real data from Paf’s own online games. This gaming data has been used to carry out the analysis in the research.
“We are proud to have contributed to taking the research into gaming responsibility one step further. The research can help us all gain a better understanding of the tools and methods that are proven to provide better gaming responsibility,” says Daniela Johansson, Paf’s Deputy CEO and Chief Responsibility Officer.
Ekaterina’s research on the importance of voluntary gaming limits created headlines in the gaming industry in Europe because it called into question the effectiveness of voluntary gaming limits. According to the research, voluntary gaming limits have no noticeable effect on the intensity of gaming.
“Voluntary gaming limits just don’t seem to produce a desirable effect. All the collected research supports this fact,” says Ekaterina Ivanova.
Gaming protection must be effective
Gaming companies can continue to claim that they are responsible because the research on gaming responsibility is incomplete, although this fact also means that there is no concrete evidence to support the gaming responsibility tools being used.
“It is absolutely essential to prove that gaming responsibility tools have an effect and show how they make that effect. Otherwise the gaming companies can continue to market themselves as responsible, even though their tools are poor,” says Ekaterina Ivanova.
Paf’s mandatory loss limit might well be the right way to go.
“The mandatory loss limit that Paf has implemented is definitely a step in the right direction. Such a measure needs to be thoroughly tested,” says Ekaterina Ivanova.
Click here to read a summary of the research on voluntary game limits and here is a link to the full research report.
Published: 17 februari 2020
News with same tag
High demand for seats at Destination Poker
Paf hosted the Destination Poker live tournament in Mariehamn, Åland from 1–3 November. 70 players took part in the main tournament with a prize pool of €35,000. A winner from Finland was crowned on Saturday night at 11 o'clock.
Published: 05 november 2024
The new gaming law was discussed in Helsinki
Paf organised an event in Helsinki to discuss the upcoming gaming law in Finland. Participants heard the views of the State Secretary, members of parliament, the media, sports, experts and the gaming industry.
Published: 24 oktober 2024
Finnish woman from Satakunta won €2.9 million on Paf
A young woman from Satakunta won €2,946,407 after betting just 40 cents on the online game Gears of Eternia Dream Drop Megaways on Paf.com. It was late in the evening of 22 August that the jackpot was won. “I didn't think it was real and I thought that the game had crashed when the winnings started...
Published: 27 augusti 2024