Allwyn has named the first winners of its Player Protection Lab, awarding two research projects focused on safer gambling and player safety. Each project will receive up to €100,000.
According to Allwyn, the lab was launched in September 2025 as a global responsible gaming initiative designed to fund academics and experts pursuing new approaches to player safety. The company said it invited proposals in three areas: digital innovation, using messaging to drive positive play, and developing effective safety tools.
One of the awards went to Dr Michael Auer, a psychologist and statistician who has worked in responsible gaming since 2005 and has published more than 50 peer-reviewed studies. His project will combine real-world player data with self-reported insights to test personalised messages at key moments and measure their effect on spending, limit setting and taking breaks.
The second award went to Newton University, a Czech higher-education institution. Its project will develop the Safe Gambling Assessment Tool, or SGAT, tailored to Generation Z’s digital behaviours and aimed at better understanding how younger players engage with online and offline gambling, including self-control, limit-setting and attitudes to risk.
Robert Chvátal, Allwyn’s chief executive, said the award is meant to fund research that identifies novel solutions and tools that enhance safe play. He said the lab was created to keep the company at the forefront of player safety by bringing insight, technology and innovation together.
Petr Zimčík, the Newton University project lead, said the funding would allow the university to connect academic expertise with real-world data and practical experience. He said the aim was to build a deeper understanding of young adults’ attitudes, perceptions and behaviour, and to improve approaches to responsible play.
Allwyn said it already meets Level 4 of the World Lottery Association’s responsible gaming framework, the highest level of accreditation available. The company said both projects are expected to be completed by September 2027.
