Key points:
- Danish Gambling Authority wins IAGR's "Best Regulatory Campaign" award for youth gambling prevention initiative
- The campaign reached its target audience through humour and social media engagement
- Post-campaign surveys showed a notable impact on youth gambling awareness
The Danish Gambling Authority has received the "Best Regulatory Campaign" award from the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) for its youth gambling prevention initiative, "The One-Armed Bandit."
The campaign, which debuted in December, uses humour and exaggeration to convey the risks of gambling to teenagers.
The initiative emerged in response to a 2023 study revealing that 15% of Danish youth aged 15-17 had engaged in gambling despite legal age restrictions.
Aiming to take a new approach, the campaign created a fictional character personifying gambling addiction, using humour and sarcasm to convey its message across social media platforms.
Influencer partnerships were also leveraged to maximise reach among the target demographic.
The campaign appears to have resonated with its target audience; follow-up surveys indicated that 44% of young viewers reported the campaign had made them reconsider their gambling habits, while 41% said it sparked discussions about gambling control among their friends.
Director Anders Dorph accepted the award on behalf of the Authority at the conference, which gathered 400 participants from 81 gambling regulatory bodies worldwide.
IAGR Vice President Sarah Kelly praised the campaign's innovative approach, noting it stood out among submissions from three other countries.
Kelly went on to say: "The winners stood out for their commitment to improving standards to regulate the gaming market for the benefit of both industry and consumers."
The initiative, developed in collaboration with agency Advice and featuring comedian David Minerba, represents a departure from traditional regulatory messaging – a departure that has proven to be successful on this occasion.
