High-Risk Gambling Decreases in Finland
Submitted by Andy_B on Friday, 28 May 2021 Page Views: 216
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In a study done by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), the number of people participating in high-risk gambling that leads to gambling problems has decreased in Finland. This study concluded that 11% of Finns have at one time participated in high-risk gambling activities in the past year. In previous studies, that number was at 15%. Source: Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. This study also showed that non-problem gambling has increased in Finland. Most Finns are starting to gamble less than once a month. With the help of our guest expert, Maunu Seppinen, we explore the possible reasons for the decline in high-risk gambling.
Increase in Online Gambling
The study mentioned earlier showed that 12.7% more people are gambling online now. It also showed an increase from 3.3% to 5.4% in the use of foreign gambling companies. Notably, 98.1% of gamblers in Finland gamble at suomalaiset nettikasinot.With the increase in the number of people starting to gamble online, more people may develop a gambling problem. In Finland, one in five people polled has said that there's someone close to them that participates in high-risk gambling.
The increase in the accessibility of online gambling has led to the initial increase we've seen in the number of people participating in high-risk gambling activities.
Responsible Gaming Tools
Gaming companies are starting to create and use responsible gaming tools that use an algorithm to find high-risk gambling behaviour. The goal is to provide help early enough to prevent players from developing a more severe problem in the future.Many of these companies are using responsible gaming tools on sites that require you to have an account. Casinos that don't need individuals to create accounts have drawn a bit of concern because anyone can start playing. In the future, we expect to see new regulations for these kinds of sites to help better decrease high-risk gambling.
Another action that is helping decrease the number of people with a gambling problem is putting limits on the amount someone can lose.
Decreases in Loss Limits
The biggest gambling sites in Finland have made significant changes to their gambling policies through decreased loss limits. Many of these companies had a monthly limit of €2,000 and a daily limit of €1,000. However, both these limits have been lowered to €500 as a test to see how well they'll work.
With more accessibility and more people are spending time at home, these changes have been deemed essential. The National Police Board of Finland has agreed that having a decrease in loss limits will help prevent gambling problems from getting worse, not just from an economic perspective but also from a social one.
Talking About Gambling Problems
We think that a significant factor in the decrease in high-risk gambling is that more people are talking about their problems with gambling. With this new open and honest communication, more help is provided for those who may need it. The many people who have come forward to discuss their issues help other players to realize they may also have problematic gambling habits.Conclusion
The government and gambling companies have started to realize the problems many people have been facing and have taken steps to help. Using responsible gaming tools like decreasing the players' loss limits has already aided in the decrease in the number of people who have a gambling problem. We expect this number to keep going down as people are more open about their struggles and more assistance becomes available.Please gamble responsibly. With many thanks to Steven Lilley and Andreas Ghiraldaio for their kind help and support with this article, including Creative Commons photos.
