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
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Africa
Female Protea Team for the Counter Strike 2 esports title to do battle against Namibia – AEC25
Mind Sports South Africa’s Protea Female CS2 team, led by captain Jess Greeff and featuring Avonique van Rooyen, dominated IESF’s AEC24, and emerged undefeated, and punched their ticket to the world stage. The female Protea Team for the Counter Strike 2 Esports Title are trailblazers in female esports and are already making their mark internationally.
To qualify for IESF’s World Esports Championships 2025 (WEC25), South Africa’s Female Protea Team for the Counter Strike 2 Esports Title will be taking on Namibia at15H00 on 21 June 2025.
South Africa’s Female Protea Team for the Counter Strike 2 Esports Title has never lost to Namibia, and both MSSA and the team are confident that the result will be the same as all previous encounters.
The team has shown a few changes from 2024. Jessica Greeff remains the captain, and Avonique van Rooyen and Megan van der Westhuizen too stay on the team with their vast international experience. The two new additions are Kiera McCullum and Kalee Ludick who further add to the team.
MSSA is of the belief that the 2025 Female Protea Team for the Counter Strike 2 Esports Title is the strongest female Counter Strike 2 team to ever represent South Africa.
The full team to represent South Africa at15H00 on 21 June 2025 is:
| Name | Club | Nick | Province |
| Jessica Eleez Greeff (Capt.) | ZAG Academy | heartjess | KwaZulu Natal |
| Avonique van Rooyen | ZAG Academy | avo | Gauteng |
| Kiera McCallum | ZAG Academy | queen | KwaZulu Natal |
| Megan van der Westhuizen | ZAG Academy | m3gz | Gauteng |
| Kalee Ludick | ZAG Academy | creative | Gauteng |
The post Female Protea Team for the Counter Strike 2 esports title to do battle against Namibia – AEC25 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The latest title in the studio’s popular slot series takes players to the realm of the gods, where the big win potential is mighty
Prepare to embark on an epic adventure where the power of the gods awaits in Unusual Suspects: Legends of Olympus from Northern Lights Gaming. This is the latest instalment in the studio’s hugely popular Unusual Suspects series and promises plenty of divine action.
Players will marvel as Wilds unleash their celestial power, flying over the gods for a chance to trigger the Judgement Day Jackpot. For those who ascend through the pearly gates, Free Spins await, where players ascend the trail to reach the Supreme Legend.
Let’s get into the bonus features in more detail.
Divine Wilds land in the base game and Free Spins and are triggered by the Legend symbols, of which there are five. The Legend determines how the Wilds behave, including turning reels one to four Wild and turning the top and bottom of any reels Wild.
If a Legend symbol lands on top of another Legend symbol or a Wild, a Multiplier gets added up to a maximum of 4x. Boom.
Judgment Day Jackpot is a three-of-a-kind pot bonus triggered by collecting Wild symbols in the base game and Free Spins. Players then get to choose a land to smite, which in turn reveals a Jackpot – reveal three matching Jackpots to win the prize.
The gods are on the side of the player, and that’s why they offer a Bonus Boost. This happens when two Scatters land on reels one and three, adding two tokens into the Bonus Boost Bar. Collect 100 tokens to fill the bar and unlock the bonus, which is the second Landmark on the Free Spins Trail.
Then there’s the Nudging Scatter Respins, which are also triggered when two Scatters drop on reels one and three. When this happens, reels two and four are held, with reels one and two nudging down one row. Reel five then Respins for the chance to hit a Legend symbol.
After each Respin, two tokens are added to the Bonus Boost Bar.
The real action takes place in the Free Spins bonus, which is triggered when two Scatters and a Legend symbol start the Bonus Respin. The Scatters and the Legend expand to cover the reel, and up to two Respins occur on reels two and four for a chance to award two more Scatters.
Two Scatters get the player 10 Free Spins, three Scatters get them 15 Free Spins, and four Scatters get them 20 Free Spins.
While the Free Spins play out, players work their way along a Trail with five Landmarks to uncover. As they hit each Landmark, they get five additional Free Spins plus an increasing Multiplier, up to a max of 10x.
Better still, active Legends can land on the reels for subsequent spins, and each Legend that lands triggers Divine Wilds.
Chris Loftus, Commercial Director, at Northern Lights Gaming, said: “We’ve taken the Unusual Suspects series into the realm of the gods, a hugely popular theme among players in markets around the world.
“Players once again join our hero character, Max Spinwell, but this time on a quest to harness the power of the gods to potentially win big.
“Matching this epic theme is edge-of-the-seat gameplay, provided through a powerful line-up of bonus features including Wild, Multipliers, Jackpots, Free Spins and more. This is a great instalment in the Unusual Suspects franchise, and we can’t wait to see players fire up the reels”
The post Northern Lights Gaming launches Unusual Suspects: Legends of Olympus appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
EGT Digital has strengthened its collaboration with Bangbet. Following the great success of the Bulgarian provider’s games on the operator’s Kenyan platform, they are now also available in Nigeria. Local visitors can dive into the world of over 140 in-house developed slot titles of the Bulgarian company, the crash game xRide, as well as the top-performing jackpot solutions Bell Link, High Cash, Clover Chance, and Single Progressive Jackpot.
David Kabue Gichuhi, Director of Bangbet, commented: “EGT Digital’s gaming content offers everything our customers are looking for – a wide diversity of themes, high winning chances, and numerous captivating bonuses. Bell Link and Clover Chance immediately stood out as our clients’ favorites, with the provider’s other products also being among the most sought-after offerings on the website. We are impressed with their remarkable performance in Kenya and Nigeria, and within a few months, we plan to launch them in the other markets where we operate: Tanzania, Ghana, and Uganda.“
Zsuzsanna Zeibig, Sales manager for Africa at EGT Digital, also highlighted the crucial significance of the partnership: “I am very glad that thanks to Bangbet, more and more African players have access to our top products. This collaboration is an important step forward in fulfilling our mission to provide the local gaming audience with the high-quality gaming experience they deserve.”
The post EGT Digital has expanded its partnership with Bangbet in Nigeria appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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