There has been a reduction in the number of people gambling in Finland, according to fresh research from the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
Gambling has declined since 2019, when the previous edition of the gambling study was conducted. Last year some 70 percent of people in Finland gambled at least once, whereas four years ago the figure was 78 percent.
Problem gambling, however, has increased. In 2019 some three percent of gamblers had a problem controlling their gambling, whereas in the latest edition of the study the figure was 4.2 percent.
Overall researchers estimate that around 150,000 people in Finland have a gambling problem.
Researchers interviewed some 6,000 people aged between 15 and 74 and resident in mainland Finland. Among male gamblers, the rate of problem gambling was 6.6 percent, while only 1.8 percent of female gamblers had a problem.
There has been a marked increase in problem gambling among young men.
THL research director Anne Salonen said that young men's problem gambling was not solely connected to online gaming services.
"Veikkaus slot machines are the most common thing in that group," Salonen said .
According to the research, around two percent of gamblers are responsible for half of all profits. The majority of gamblers only have a flutter less frequently than once a month.
Veikkaus has seen a decline in customer numbers since 2019. Foreign online services, on the other hand, have pretty much retained their market share.
Some seven percent of gamblers use foreign gaming portals — that equates to around 250,000 people.
This research will be available to the government as they look to reform Finland's gambling system. According to the government programme, Veikkaus is set to lose its monopoly from 2026, with a system of licensed operators taking its place.
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