An interventional study of Proactive call in Gambling Problem, sponsored by University of Bergen. Recruiting at 1 site in Norway. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 50 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-11.
Sponsored by University of Bergen · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Customers/gamblers gambling at Norsk Rikstoto (gambling monopolist in Norway providing horse gambling products with potential gambling problems will be randomly allocated to receive a proactive phone call (encouraging them to change their gambling behavior - e.g., be lowering the loss limit) or to a control condition. Outcomes will be short and long terms registered gambling behavior.
Norsk Rikstoto (gambling monopolist in Norway providing horse gambling products) enforces registered play, hence all gambling transactions and outcomes of stakes of all customers are registered and stored for 5 years. Based on daily algorithms high risk gamblers are identified. Gamblers 18-50 years who for at least 5 of the last 30 days have been identified as high risk gamblers will according to a 1.5:1 ratio be allocated to a proactive call condition or to a control condition.
The call will be based on principles from motivating interviewing and will contain encouragements to alter gambling behavior (e.g., lowering loss limits). Primary outcome comprises theoretical loss (total bet x house advantage ((100% - payback%) / 100)). Secondary outcomes comprises total stakes made by the customer and loss percentage (proportion of stake that is lost). Baseline data comprises gambling behavior the 30 days before the call. Short-term effects comprise cumulative registered gambling behavior the first 90 days after the call whereas long-term effects consist of cumulative registered gambling behavior day 91-180 after the call. A random block design will be used where 15 eligible customers each week will be allocated either to the proactive call condition (n=9) or to the control condition (n=6).
158 studies on the registry are indexed under Gambling; 42 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 195 is above the median of 66 across 128 interventional studies indexed under Gambling.
Browse Gambling studies →University of Bergen is the lead sponsor of 143 studies on the registry; 19 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
The call is based on principles of motivating interviewing and will in addition encourage the recipient to change his/hers gambling behavior (e.g., lower pre-set loss limits).
Behavioral: Proactive call
No contact/not reaching out
The proactive call will be based on the principles of motivational interviewing. The content of the call comprises: 1) Asking the gambler/recipient to reflect on their gambling behavior, 2) providing to the gambler/recipient an overview of their gambling account and financial history, 3) offering to the gambler/recipient information about responsible gambling tools, such as setting lower limits, locking limits, taking a break, or self-exclusion, and 4) providing to the gambler/recipient information about relevant support services and the Gamban tool in cases where a need is expressed.
Theoretical loss
Total bet x house advantage ((100%-payback%) / 100)
Time frame: Change from baseline (30 days before the call) to day 1-90 after the call (short-term effect) and change from baseline (30 days before the call) to day 91-180 after the call (long-term effect).
Total stake
Total amount of money staked
Time frame: Change from baseline (30 days before the call) to the first 90 days after the call (short term) and change from baseline to day 91-180 after the call
Loss percentage
Percentage of stakes that are lost
Time frame: Change from baseline (30 days before the call) to day 1-90 after the call (short-term effect) and change from baseline (30 days before the call) to day 91-180 after the call (long-term effect).
Plan to share: Yes — Researchers may contact the principle investigator and ask for access to the data in anonymous form
Supporting information: Study protocol, Statistical analysis plan
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Started Feb 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Dec 2026, 10 months after the start.
Of 47 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Gambling, half reached primary completion within 16 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 10 and three quarters within 51. This study's planned 10 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 47 studies reached it within 16 months; a quarter within 10 and three quarters within 51.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
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