Poker News – While Norway keeps working towards the introduction of a new gambling law, a report from the University of Bergen provided authorities with interesting data about poker and problem gambling. According to a survey conducted by the institute on a sample of 10,000 people, poker is one of the “safest” games in Norway, even if people think that a new piece of legislation should explicitly include limitations on losses and on gambling advertising. Trying to understand which gambling games are the more “dangerous” for people at risk of problem gambling and compulsive gambling behaviors, researchers found out that…

Poker News – Sweden’s gambling monopoly Svenska Spel said it has taken a “big step towards a healthier gaming market” with a soon-to-be-created professorship to study problem gambling. The professorship at Lund University’s Faculty of Medicine will carry out detailed research into the causes and effects of problem gambling – the first of its kind in Sweden, according to the state-owned operator. “It’s part of our mission to work towards the prevention of gambling problems,” Zenita Strandänger, head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Svenska Spel, told PokerNews. “To learn more about how we best can prevent these issues we need…

Poker News – Last month, a quintet of the main trade associations representing the various facets of the UK gambling industry unveiled the creation of the Industry Group for Responsible Gambling (IGRG). As well as establishing the best practice on consumer protection across the sector, the IGRG will undertake a “stock-take” of current responsible gambling initiatives and identify where standards can be improved. The inaugural chairman, Clive Hawkswood, told PokerNews that despite the perception that problem gambling is widespread across the British Isles, the current rate is at a “historic low” — 0.5% of the adult population. However, he admitted…

From Vegas Inc Critics of online gaming say a new generation of problem gamblers is likely to emerge with Internet poker being so readily available. But two presenters at this week’s 15th International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking at Caesars Palace say computer programs are being used to educate online gamblers and force them to think twice before making wagers they can’t afford. In a session on responsible gambling and new technologies, Mark Griffiths, a professor of gambling studies at Nottingham Trent University in Great Britain, and Andreas Holmstrom, CEO of Sweden-based Playscan, discussed strategies to communicate with players…