ESPRIT: preventing the risks of gambling among the most vulnerable
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21 Nov 2025 •
Reading time: 2 minutes A new research project, called ESPRIT, has been launched to better understand and prevent gambling-related harm among people with mild intellectual disabilities. This programme could transform the way in which professionals and family members detect risks in a context where this population often remains invisible.
When cognitive fragility meets the risks of gambling
The ESPRIT project, supported by the health research agency ZonMw, brings together several players specialising in addiction: Jellinek, Brijder Verslavingszorg and Mondriaan. According to CasinoNieuws, the network aims to analyse how gambling affects people with mild intellectual disabilities, a group that is particularly vulnerable to the behavioural risks associated with gambling.
The evidence is clear: these people may have more difficulty assessing the consequences of their actions, which makes them more vulnerable to excessive gambling.
What sets ESPRIT apart is its deeply inclusive approach. Participants are not just observed: they are co-researchers, advisers and players in the project. This methodology is designed to ensure that the tools created are truly adapted to their needs and understanding. This direct involvement should enable realistic solutions to be devised in the field to identify and reduce gambling-related risks.
The major challenge of the ESPRIT programme
One of the main objectives is to make the tools used to detect problem gambling more sensitive to the needs of people with mild intellectual disabilities. Front-line professionals will be trained to recognise early warning signs, which are often difficult to interpret.
The project includes the creation of a practical guide for practitioners: How to detect problem gambling? How to act? How to coordinate care? This framework should enable faster intervention, before the damage becomes too great.
Part of the problem is that mild intellectual disability is not always identified by health services. The fact that it is not mentioned in medical records complicates care and can lead to misdiagnoses.
These people are also more likely to have other problems: economic insecurity, impulsivity and associated psychiatric disorders. A combination that further increases the risk of developing a problem gambling relationship.
ESPRIT is part of a vast national programme to prevent gambling addiction. CasinoNieuws reports that €21 million has been made available to fund independent scientific projects over five years dedicated to understanding and preventing gambling-related harm. This massive support will enable networks to be strengthened, participatory research to be funded and a long-term response to be structured for people with mild intellectual disabilities.