Allwyn has named the first recipients of its Player Protection Lab awards, with two research projects receiving up to €100,000 each.
Allwyn has named the first recipients of its Player Protection Lab awards, with two research projects receiving up to €100,000 each.
The awards went to psychologist and statistician Dr. Michael Auer, and Newton University in the Czech Republic. Both studies are expected to finish by September 2027.
Allwyn CEO Robert Chvátal said: “Player protection is core to what we do and we are committed to making play better for all wherever we operate… The award aims to fund research that identifies novel solutions and tools that enhance safe play.”
According to Allwyn’s announcement, Auer will test personalised messages intended to encourage safer gambling behaviour. His project will combine real-world player data with participants’ own accounts of their play.
Researchers will examine how different messages affect spending, limit setting and decisions to take breaks. The study will measure which interventions change behaviour at important moments.
Newton University will develop a Safe Gambling Assessment Tool focused on Generation Z. Its research will examine younger adults across digital and physical gambling settings.
The team will study self-control, attitudes towards risk and the use of spending limits. It will also compare online behaviour with play in retail environments.
Allwyn launched the Player Protection Lab on 9 September 2025. The global programme invited academics and specialists to submit original research across three areas.
The primary areas are digital innovation, messaging that supports positive play and practical safety tools. Projects also had to address an identified knowledge gap and offer clear benefits for player safety.
Research to intensify responsible gambling oversight
Research is needed to establish when responsible gambling tools like deposit limits work, and how players respond to them. The lab’s selection criteria also require robust methods and potential real-world use.
Auer’s project puts recorded player activity beside self-reported information. That approach lets researchers compare what participants recall with what their account data shows.
Newton University’s study tackles a different issue. Younger adults have grown up with smartphones, digital payments and constant access to online services.
Their gambling behaviour may differ between websites, mobile products and physical venues. The assessment tool is intended to capture those differences more accurately.
Allwyn said the lab forms part of its wider player protection strategy. The company holds Level 4 accreditation under the World Lottery Association’s Responsible Gaming Framework, its highest accreditation. The standard recognises the company’s commitment to player protection and responsible gaming.
Allwyn also launched its first group-wide responsible gambling campaign, Play the Right Way, in August last year. It promoted limit setting, calm decision-making and available safety tools.
The inaugural awards move the lab from an open call into active research. Allwyn has said another funding round will open later this year.