A recent study in Norway highlights the impact of tailored proactive calls on reducing gambling activity among at-risk individuals. Conducted by Norsk Tipping, Norway’s state-run gambling monopoly, the research analyzed player account data from 4,752 customers targeted for duty-of-care calls over the period from 2022 to 2024. Norsk Tipping has implemented these care calls since 2015.
The study compared the gambling behavior of participants during the 12 weeks before and after they received the calls. Notably, 68.2% of customers engaged with at least one call attempt, resulting in successful conversations for 57.3% of them.
Following these care calls, significant declines were observed in various aspects of gambling behavior. Key indicators, including the number of days gambled, total wagers, net losses, theoretical loss, and the number of deposits, all showed reductions. While the effects varied from small to moderate, they were consistent across the board, particularly in the areas of days gambled, net losses, and theoretical losses.
The analysis revealed stronger positive effects among groups identified by Norsk Tipping's risk assessment tool, Spillepuls. These included younger customers who experienced substantial losses, new players with high losses, and those who had recently escalated to high-risk gambling behavior.
The study also indicated that a significant portion of participants opted for responsible gambling measures during the calls. Specifically, 43.7% of customers chose to lower their loss limits, while 12.6% elected for self-exclusion and 0.7% decided to take a temporary break from gambling. Customers who self-referred showed a higher tendency to reduce their loss limits at 60.7%. Notably, those who adjusted their limits during the calls experienced greater subsequent reductions in their gambling activities compared to those who did not.
Early indicators of risk, such as flags from Spillepuls or significant losses, led to higher engagement rates with the proactive calls and enhanced reductions in gambling behavior. In contrast, customers with ongoing high-risk gambling patterns tended to have a reduced response rate to a single care call.
Calls to customers were initiated when they incurred substantial losses within certain age groups or when their gambling activity was flagged by the operator for high-risk behavior, as indicated by NT’s Playscan tool. The calls were conducted using a motivational interviewing technique by trained staff, who attempted to reach each customer up to three times.
