Sweden’s Paf Criticises Research on Voluntary Gaming Limits

Swedish gaming operator Paf which is based out of Åland was the first international gaming company to limit the maximum amount of losses that a player could incur in a year. This was a step forward in responsible gaming and Paf is proud of their achievement. As a leader in the field of responsible gaming, the company is understandably displeased about a recent Swedish study that says that these voluntary limits have no effect.

A recent study carried out by the Stockholm University revealed that voluntary gaming limits used by many gambling operator all over the world had no effect at all on limiting losses. 

Paf CEO Christer Fahlstedt was quite offended by these results. He said that the study’s results were a terrible blow and were inaccurate since his own company felt the positive effects of voluntary gaming limits. This is why the company has decided to double down on their limits. The company is further dropping down its maximum limits to prove that it has a real effect on the lives of its players.

Paf already took a hit in revenues when it imposed loss limits in 2018. This was mostly because the decision reduced the number of high rollers playing at Paf, since they could no longer wager as much as they were used to. Combined with the other responsible gambling measures, the players at Paf are now mostly those who just play for fun and not serious gamblers.

With its decision to further lower loss limits, the maximum limit for overall losses per year is now €25,000. This is €5,000 down from the original €30,000 which was imposed in 2018.

Dedication to Players

Fahlstedt said once the company made the decision in 2018; they kept a close watch on player losses and company losses. This is why they completely disagree with the research submitted by Stockholm University.

This decision was made even though Paf realizes that it is going to cost them a lot. Estimates suggest that Paf will lose about two percent of revenue from this move which is the equivalent of around €2 million. The new loss limits will take effect on January 1, 2020 and will apply to all online players.

While Fahlstedt knows that it is not good to lose so much revenue, he believes that Paf’s customers will appreciate their more customer-centric approach.