Wed. Dec 25th, 2024
Gambling problems rise despite decline in players

Problem gambling has significantly increased, according to the THL.

Man wearing a dark grey suit, sitting on a bar stool in front of a brightly coloured slot machine.

Men were much more likely to suffer from problem gambling than their female counterparts, according to THL. Image: Eeva-Maria Brotherus / Lehtikuva

Problem gambling is rising in Finland even though the number of people who gamble is declining, according to the Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

In a survey, the agency found that 4.2 percent of respondents revealed that they suffered from problem gambling or were “at-risk” gamblers. This extrapolates to over 150,000 people at the population level.

Similar surveys in past years found that around three percent of the population suffered from serious gambling problems. According to the THL, the recent increase is significant.

However, the proportion of people in Finland who regularly gamble decreased from 78 percent in 2019 to 70 percent over the past 12 months.

Men were much more likely to suffer from problem gambling than their female counterparts, according to THL.

Around 6.6 percent of men acknowledged gambling at a level they considered seriously problematic, while the proportion of women who did so stood at 1.8 percent.

The most popular forms of gambling continued to be state gaming monopoly Veikkaus’ lottery games and slot machines.

THL said the most harmful and especially addictive forms of gaming shared similar qualities like a fast pace, interactivity and frequent rewards. These include online lottery games, slot machines and online betting.

In 2019, amid accusations of enabling and even encouraging problem gamblers to continue playing, Veikkaus announced plans to remove thousands of its slot machines across the country and start a programme to mitigate the problem.

In 2022, Veikkaus announced that it was prepared to end its monopoly status and switch to a licensing mode.

About a year ago, an informal Yle survey found most parliamentary parties in the country agreed to the idea of dismantling the state gaming outfit.

Edited for clarity.

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By Xplayer