Danish students more likely to gamble for entertainment following classroom presentations

One of the more surprising revelations, according to the regulator, was that female respondents were unaware that scratchcards were a form of gambling.

A survey of almost 2,000 students found greater awareness of gambling mechanics and licensed operators after presentations by the Danish Gambling Authority. The students were also more inclined to gamble for entertainment purposes rather than monetary gain.

Free classroom presentations run by the Danish Gambling Authority appeared to improve young people’s understanding of gambling, according to a new report based on responses from students at youth education institutions.

The sessions, delivered between September 2024 and March 2025, covered gambling and game mechanics. Researchers analysed 1,433 survey responses collected before the presentations and 534 collected three to six weeks afterwards. Students were typically aged 16 to 20.

The surveys were distributed online to entire classes before a scheduled presentation and again three to six weeks later. Because individual responses could not be matched across the two rounds, researchers could not establish how each student’s answers changed.

Entertainment takes centre stage

After the presentations, students were less likely to identify winning money as their main reason for gambling and more likely to describe it as entertainment. 

The report said the shift is consistent with a central message of the sessions: that gambling is an entertainment product, not a way to make money.

The findings also point to increased recognition of what counts as gambling. Many students, particularly young women, said they had not previously understood that scratchcards, including festive Christmas calendar cards, are a form of gambling. Among female respondents, the proportion who recognised they had tried gambling rose from 19% before a presentation to 48% afterwards.

The report’s authors said this increase reflected greater awareness of past activity, rather than evidence that more students had started gambling.

Greater awareness of licensing

Students also showed greater awareness of the Danish gambling licence mark, which indicates that an operator is authorised to operate in Denmark. Among male respondents, the proportion who said they were “very” or “very much” aware of what the mark signified increased from 39% before the presentation to 61% afterwards.

More than three-quarters of students agreed with key messages covered in the sessions. These included that all gambling has a payback percentage below 100%, that making a financial profit from gambling over time is mathematically unlikely, that the Gambling Authority’s logo indicates a Danish licence and that gambling should be treated as entertainment.

Most respondents said they felt in control of how much they gambled, with about 69% agreeing or strongly agreeing. 

That scratchcards equate to gambling is a surprise

Anders Dorph, director of the Danish Gambling Authority, said it was important to give young people “a nuanced view of gambling and the mechanisms of the game”.

“The fact that we can see in black and white that our presentation makes a difference naturally makes me very happy and proud of our efforts,” he said.

Heine Jakobsen, a special consultant in the Authority’s presentation group, said students were often surprised to learn that scratchcards were considered to be gambling.

“There is a general ignorance about which areas are defined as gambling, so it is an eye-opener for many, especially girls, when we tell them that scratchcards such as Christmas calendar scratchcards are also gambling,” he said.

The Danish Gambling Authority has set its sights on its younger generations and their relationship with the industry in recent weeks. 

In a campaign to prevent underage gambling, the regulator has launched an initiative – Casino in the Children Room – that seeks to broaden the discussion around young people’s digital habits from mere screen time concerns to the nature of in‑game content and mechanics.