Spanish Gambling Regulator Releases €1.3 Million Research Funding Recipient List

It falls to the gambling regulators to ensure that their online casino and sports betting communities are protected while still allowing the gambling industry to grow and mature into a viable business sector.

The Directorate-General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ) chose to invest in responsible gambling research by launching a gambling disorder research and treatment initiative, which would allow it to fund more than twenty programs.

 Call for Gambling Disorder Research Programs

The call for applicants was well received, with nearly forty research proposals being received from Spanish universities, health institutions, R&D centres, or non-profit organisations.

The DGOJ spoke on the funding program, saying:

Quote

“These grants are aimed at carrying out research studies on disorders derived from gambling activity, with the prevention of the effects derived from such disorders or the risks associated with gambling.”

The initiative put forward a budget of €1,319,249.21, allocated to twenty-six programs with grants of up to €140,000. Each qualifying recipient has until 30 June 2024 to complete their research into compulsive gambling and submit their results to the regulator.

How the Qualifying Programs Were Scored

To ensure that each of the proposed gambling-related research projects received a fair review, the casino regulator scored each project based on seven points:

a. Proposal quality metrics: Requires 30 points minimum

1. Proposal Quality
2. Scientific Viability
3. Community Impact

b. Assessment of the research team: Requires 20 points minimum

1. Proven Scientific Career
2. Quality of Scientific-Technical Contributions
3. Previous Participation in Public Research Projects
4. Parity in the Research Team

All proposals were vetted on the above and given a score out of 100. The point scoring system did not, however, determine the amount of funding received as a project SUBV23/00030, which scored 96/100, received €63.020, while SUBV23/00027, which scored 76/100, received €78,900.

 Which Research Programs Received Funds?

The list of 26 approved papers was awe-inspiring in its scope and the areas of compulsive gambling behaviours being researched.

The facility to receive the most funding was the Miguel Hernández University of Elche, with a paper entitled: "Intention to change and seeking treatment in pathological gamblers and investors: an experimental study in young adults."

Here are seven other standout initiatives that were funded:

• SUBV23/00030. Andalusian Public Foundation for Malaga Research in Biomedicine and Health: The correlation between gambling addiction and compulsive mobile device use.
• SUBV23/00035. King Juan Carlos University: The relationship between gambling addiction in adolescent women and the use of legal and illegal psychoactive substances.
• SUBV23/00024. International University of La Rioja, SA: The use of AI-based gender and cultural research tools to detect gambling disorders early.
• SUBV23/00027. University of Almeria: The identification of nervous system responses and their correlation with compulsive gambling disorders.
• SUBV23/00014. Complutense University of Madrid: Emotional regulation and problematic use of games of chance and video games in young adults.
• SUBV23/00003. Polytechnic University of Madrid: The long-term impact of digital social pressure and mobile gaming apps on the individual emotional well-being.
• SUBV23/00037. Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa: The relationship between medical treatments using atypical antipsychotics and the onset of gambling disorders.

A complete list of the programs earmarked for funding is available for download from the DGOJ website. The list includes the name of the research facility, how well it scored, an outline of the initiative and the amount of funding it will receive.