Allwyn has announced the first recipients of its Player Protection Lab awards, with two separate research projects each receiving funding of up to €100,000.
The awards were granted to psychologist and statistician Dr. Michael Auer and Newton University in the Czech Republic, with both studies expected to conclude by September 2027.
Allwyn CEO Robert Chvátal stated: “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.”
Dr. Auer’s project will test personalised messages designed to encourage safer gambling behaviour among players, combining real-world account data with participants’ own accounts of their play.
Researchers on that project will examine how different messages influence spending habits, limit-setting decisions and choices to take breaks from gambling activity.
The study will specifically measure which types of interventions are most effective at changing behaviour during key decision-making moments.
Newton University’s research will focus on developing a Safe Gambling Assessment Tool tailored to Generation Z, examining younger adults across both digital and physical gambling environments.
That team will investigate self-control, attitudes towards risk and the use of spending limits, while also comparing online gambling behaviour with activity in retail settings.
Younger adults have grown up with smartphones, digital payments and constant access to online services, meaning their gambling behaviour may differ significantly across channels and platforms.
Allwyn originally launched the Player Protection Lab on 9 September 2025, inviting academics and specialists to submit original research proposals across three key areas.
Those primary areas are digital innovation, messaging that supports positive play and the development of practical safety tools for operators and players alike.
Submitted projects were also required to address an identified knowledge gap in responsible gambling research and demonstrate clear potential benefits for player safety outcomes.
Allwyn holds Level 4 accreditation under the World Lottery Association’s Responsible Gaming Framework, which represents the highest level of accreditation available under that standard.
The company also launched its first group-wide responsible gambling campaign, Play the Right Way, in August last year, promoting limit setting, calm decision-making and available safety tools.
With these inaugural awards now confirmed, Allwyn has indicated that another funding round under the Player Protection Lab programme will open later in 2026.
