Does gambling education change students' perceptions in Denmark?

The Danish Gambling Authority has published a survey showing that participants' perceptions of betting changed after its educational sessions for students. 1,433 people responded before the sessions, and 534 people responded to the follow-up survey. Most participants were between 16 and 20 years old, and classes were visited between September 2024 and March 2025. The follow-up survey was sent three to six weeks after the sessions.

According to the authority, many students did not initially see scratch cards as gambling. Before the sessions, 19% of female participants said they had gambled before, and afterward this rate rose to 48%. The regulator warned, however, that this difference does not mean more women started gambling after the lessons.

Among male participants who said they had gambled before, the share citing money-making as a reason fell from 64% to 54%. The share choosing fun as a reason rose from 70% to 87%. Those paying high attention to whether the operator holds a Danish licence also rose from 39% to 61%. An eight-person team gives about 100 presentations each year at educational institutions and sports clubs.

The report's limits are also clear. Because responses could not be matched to individual students, change in the same people cannot be tracked, and there is no comparison group. 47% of male gamblers said in both surveys that they had not gambled in the past week. Since the follow-up period was short, long-term effects were not measured, so it is not proven that the sessions reduced gambling frequency or prevented harm.