More than 150,000 people in the Nordic countries have been invited to take part in a major joint survey on gambling – a major first. Launched at the end of November 2025, the Pan-Nordic Gambling Study (PANG) aims to provide a harmonised picture of gambling habits and gambling-related risks across the region for the first time.
A first in the history of the Nordic countries
The phenomenon is unprecedented. Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark are jointly launching the Pan-Nordic Gambling Study (PANG). Until now, no coordinated study has brought together all these countries to analyse gambling practices and their consequences on a comparative basis.
Thanks to a common questionnaire and a harmonised methodology, the aim is to make up for a lack of comparable data on a regional scale, a gap that has hitherto complicated the analysis of cross-border dynamics.
“The study will serve as a basis for assessing gambling and gambling-related problems in the Nordic countries. It will be exciting to compare the results with previous Swedish data and with the rest of the Nordic region, especially as few similar joint studies have been conducted in Europe,” says Maria Vinberg, one of the project’s investigators.
In this way, the operation aims to transform the way in which governments and health authorities understand and manage gambling – no longer in isolation, but with a regional vision.
How the survey works
Data collection will begin in November 2025. In each country, around 30,000 people, selected at random, will receive an invitation to take part in the survey, bringing the total sample to around 150,000 participants – one of the largest studies ever conducted in the region on this subject.
Participants will be questioned mainly via digital questionnaires about their gambling habits: frequency, types of games played (lotteries, casinos, betting, etc.), use of licensed or unlicensed operators, gambling context, and potential signs of harm or addiction. This standardised approach will make it possible not only to obtain a national overview of the situation in each country, but also to compare situations directly between countries – in order to identify common trends, specific national features, or correlations between regulation, culture and behaviour.
The final report is expected in spring 2026. It will serve as a reference base for researchers, public decision-makers, and health and regulatory authorities.
Why this study is crucial – and how it could change the game
In most of the Nordic countries, the regulatory frameworks for gambling vary considerably – some have an open market with licences, others a State monopoly. These differences partly explain why, until now, it has been difficult to compare data from one country to another: each regulatory system produces its own statistics, with heterogeneous methodologies.
The PANG offers a unified regional vision for the first time. By combining culture, regulation, patterns of gambling and public health, it could reveal previously invisible correlations: the way in which a regulated or unregulated market influences the prevalence of gambling, risk-taking behaviour, or the social and health impact of gambling.
This better understanding can serve as a basis for more enlightened public policies: prevention, support for vulnerable gamblers, better regulation, promotion of responsible gambling. Beyond our borders, the study could serve as a model for other European regions facing the same challenges.
Challenges and grey areas
The challenge is twofold: on the one hand, to obtain reliable and comparable data; on the other, to ensure that the sensitivity of the respondents does not introduce bias. The participation rate and the honesty of the responses will be decisive.
Furthermore, if the results highlight risks or abuses, governments will have to agree to adapt their legal frameworks, which is never easy, especially when faced with powerful economic interests. In some Nordic countries, the systems are old, deeply rooted, and sometimes perceived as a balance between individual freedom and collective protection. Transforming these balances requires political courage and a long-term commitment.
Finally, this is only a one-off survey, albeit on a large scale: to really measure changes, regular monitoring and longitudinal comparisons will no doubt be needed – which represents a major commitment in terms of human and financial resources.
When the report is published in the spring of 2026, it could change the way policymakers, regulators and society perceive gambling. But the impact will depend on the will to act – and to turn information into concrete policies. The initiative is an exemplary model of rigorous, transparent, collective research in the service of public health and the common good.