Press Releases
Finland: Prevalence of at-risk gambling has decreased – gambling problems still as common as before
According to a study conducted by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), the prevalence of “at-risk gambling” which causes individual mild harms has decreased in Finland. The 2019 study indicated that 11 per cent of the Finnish population had engaged in at-risk level gambling in the past 12 months. In the previous study, conducted in 2015, the proportion of at-risk gamblers was 15 per cent. The prevalence of at-risk gambling has decreased in both men and women.
At-risk gambling refers to gambling which causes some individual harms and often precedes the development of problem gambling. According to the 2019 study, three per cent of the Finnish population, meaning approximately 112,000 people, had experienced gambling problems. The proportion of such individuals has remained the same since 2007.
According to the study, 1.4 per cent of Finns – around 52,000 people – suffered in 2019 from probable pathological gambling, which is the most severe form of problematic gambling.
In contrast, the study indicates that gambling without indentified problems has increased. The number of gamblers remained the same between 2015 and 2019, but changes took place in the frequency of gambling: the proportion of Finns who gambled less often than once a month increased, whereas the proportion of those gambling more often than this decreased.
The past-year prevalence of gambling at least one game type among the respondents was 78.4 per cent.
Online gambling has become more common
In 2019, one third of the respondents (36.3 %) had been gambling online. The proportion of online gamblers increased by 12.7 percentage points from 2015.
At the same time, the proportion of those who gambled games offered by foreign operators increased from 3.3 to 5.4 per cent. Almost all gamblers (98.1 %) who had gambled games offered by an operator other than Veikkaus Oy had also gambled Veikkaus Oy’s games.
In 2019, 2.5 per cent of the gamblers accounted for one half of the total gambling expenditure. This means that of the 2,917,000 people living in mainland Finland who participated in gambling in 2019, 72,000 people spent one half of the total expenditure of that year. Veikkaus Oy’s share of the online gambling expenditure was 83.6 per cent, while the other game operators accounted for 16.4 per cent.
“Only a relatively few people gamble games offered by operators other than Veikkaus, when compared to the number of those gambling Veikkaus games. Then again, there is big money involved in foreign online games. Therefore, it is now important to monitor how the closing of the Finnish slot machines due to the coronavirus epidemic affects online gambling”, says THL Senior Researcher Anne Salonen.
One in five Finns has someone with problematic gambling in their immediate social circle
Just over one fifth (21.1 %) of the respondents reported that at least one person in their immediate social circle had demonstrated problematic gambling. This means that around 790,000 persons are affected by someone close to them having a gambling problem, and this proportion has increased.
According to Salonen, the result may also indicate that Finns have become more aware of gambling problems, and the issue is now discussed more openly and boldly than before.
Since 2007, THL has been monitoring gambling, the prevalence of gambling problems, and the attitudes and opinions related to gambling by carrying out a population survey every four years among Finnish people aged from 15 to 74. In 2019, the study was participated in by 3994 Finns. Statistics Finland conducted the interviews over the telephone. The study was carried out by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, and commissioned and financed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (section 52 of the Lotteries Act).
THL publishes the Finnish Gambling 2019 results in stages; the first step now is to publish the main results concerning gambling and gambling problems. The results concerning the attitudes and opinions related to gambling will be published later this year.
Source: thl.fi
Powered by WPeMatico
Latest News
Back at It! Hacksaw Gaming and Betclic Are Setting Standards In Portugal!
Nothing short of spectacular! This launch not only commemorates our brand new partnership with Betclic, but also our second launch in Portugal in less than 2 months.
Renowned for their love of sports, Betclic is sticking true to its values by exploring the vast world of online, mobile focused casino. They aim to offer the most entertaining gambling experience possible within their many markets via easy-to-use, interactive and innovative mobile apps.
Hacksaw Gaming content and Betclic’s values really do seem to go hand in hand. We are always keeping a mobile friendly format in the forefront when creating our games, and our popularity with players says more than we need to! Betclic.pt players can enjoy Hacksaw home runs such as Wanted Dead or A Wild, RIP City, Hand of Anubis, Le Bandit, Chaos Crew II and a large variety of others. We’re absolutely sure that Betclic users will be blown away by the diversity of our content on offer.
Geoffroy Villiot – Head of Casino at Betclic agrees that our content demonstrates variety and stated that “By embracing Hacksaw Gaming’s repertoire, Betclic underscores its dedication to providing unparalleled gaming adventures. The addition of Hacksaw’s innovative games enhances our standing as a leading hub for online entertainment, elevating the experience for our players with an array of captivating titles.”
Equally enthusiastic about this collaboration, Hacksaw Gaming CEO Marcus Cordes had a few words to say on this new partnership. “Betclic is one of Portugal’s industry leaders, so we’re raring to show their players our commitment to bringing them content that not only plays well, but also takes them on a journey through innovative features and thrilling themes.”
Moving forwards, we’re looking towards expanding our library of titles available with Betclic, as well as our overall presence within the market. Portugal is arguably one of the most exciting up and coming markets for us in Europe at the moment, and we cannot wait to see more of that Hacksaw footprint across the region!
The post Back at It! Hacksaw Gaming and Betclic Are Setting Standards In Portugal! appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
PRAGMATIC PLAY LANDS A CATCH IN BIG BASS BONANZA – REEL ACTION
Pragmatic Play, a leading content supplier to the iGaming industry, has extended its fan-favourite fishing franchise with the release of Big Bass Bonanza – Reel Action.
In this 5×3 Slot, where money symbols can be worth up to 2,000x the total bet, hitting three, four or five scatters activates an exciting bonus game with 10, 15 or 20 free spins respectively.
The fisherman wild lends a helping hand during the feature, not only collecting all money symbols that land with him, but also randomly making money symbols appear when none are present on screen. Every fourth fisherman to land retriggers the bonus game with 10 additional free spins, as well as a 2x multiplier for the first retrigger, 3x for the next, and 10x once a dozen fishermen have been collected.
Big Bass Bonanza – Reel Action follows Big Bass Secrets of the Golden Lake and Big Bass Day at the Races as the latest additions to Pragmatic Play’s iconic game series.
Irina Cornides, Chief Operating Officer at Pragmatic Play, said: “Big Bass Bonanza – Reel Action brings classic underwater fun and winning opportunities to Pragmatic Play’s Big Bass franchise, which continues to grow in popularity with each new adventure.”
The post PRAGMATIC PLAY LANDS A CATCH IN BIG BASS BONANZA – REEL ACTION appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
ComeOn Group strengthens its leading personalisation strategy by extending their partnership with Optimove
Tier 1 iGaming operator ComeOn Group, is further strengthening its leading data-driven personalisation strategy by extending its partnership with Optimove. Leveraging its proprietary platform technology and advanced data warehouse, ComeOn introduces an innovative personalisation strategy that tailors content to individual preferences, delivering a market leading player experience to its entertainment audiences.
ComeOn is broadening the use of Opti-X, Optimove’s Digital Experience Platform (DXP), beyond casino to now include sports on its proprietary platform, allowing for a better and even more customised player experience for ComeOn’s customers. By extending the partnership to cover ComeOn’s proprietary sports betting platform, Optimove will support ComeOn Group in their ambitious growth plans within sports betting.
Sherwin Jarvand, Chief Data Officer at ComeOn Group, said, “Personalisation has always been key to our strategy and powered by our proprietary platform. As we gear up to grow our sportsbook business, it is essential we apply the same ethos across our platform and full product offering. Extending our partnership with Optimove will further enhance the betting and casino experience for all of our customers through personalised onsite experiences as well as automated, dynamic, and relevant CRM content. We are excited to continue our journey with Optimove and deliver best in class, personalised sports betting and casino player engagement.”
Matthew Gilbery, Director of Personalization Offering at Optimove, “ComeOn Group is a perfect example of how to tackle personalisation at scale. They embrace full multi-channel personalisation, optimising the customer experience without boundaries. It is organisations like theirs that present challenges and opportunities that drive Optimove to continually improve CRM Marketing for iGaming.”
The post ComeOn Group strengthens its leading personalisation strategy by extending their partnership with Optimove appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Asia6 days ago
WorldMatch Certifies Games for the Philippines
-
Latest News6 days ago
GambleAware responds to inaccurate and misleading claims
-
Brazil6 days ago
FairPlay Sports Media launches in Brazil with localized oddschecker brand
-
Asia6 days ago
BETER to exhibit at SiGMA Asia
-
Latest News6 days ago
SBC announces major industry event launch in 2025 with SBC Summit Americas
-
Alonso Huiman5 days ago
Pragmatic Play Launches Live Casino Offer at Atlantic City
-
Balkans5 days ago
Amusnet Brings Top-Notch Entertainment to Belgrade Future Gaming 2024
-
Baltics5 days ago
BETBY TO POWER ESTONIAN BRAND WINNERZ WITH SPORTSBOOK SOLUTION INCLUDING PROPRIETARY ESPORTS FEED SOLUTION