Study finds rise in problem gambling in Finland

A new study has found that 4.2 per cent of respondents were at risk

Finland.- A new survey has indicated a rise in problem gambling in Finland despite a decline in gambling participation. According to the Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), 4.2 percent of survey respondents said they suffered from problem gambling or were “at-risk”. That equates to 150,000 people at the national level.

The figure is a rise from 3 per cent in previous surveys. The THL said the increase is significant. Men were much more likely than women to suffer from problem gambling, with 6.6 per cent saying that they gambled at a level considered to be seriously problematic, compared to 1.8 per cent of women. 

Meanwhile, the survey found that the proportion of people in Finland who regularly gamble fell from 78 per cent in 2019 to 70 per cent in the past 12 months. The most popular forms of gambling continued to be lottery games and slot machines offered by the state gaming monopoly Veikkaus.

Veikkaus has reduced its slot machine count significantly since 2019 and has introduced a range of controls to increase consumer protection. The company is now preparing for the end of its monopoly over gambling in Finland. The country expects to open a competitive regulated market by 2026.