Veikkaus announces Finnish problem gambling rates down to 1.8%
Government-owned gaming firm points to loss limits as effective measure in helping to reduce numbers
Finnish government-owned betting agency Veikkaus has released its research into the harms of problem gambling on the nation’s population.
The research, which is usually released between one and three times per year, has only been published once in 2021 due to Covid-19, yet reveals that the number of people affected by gambling-related issues has dropped from 2.6%, as recorded in November 2020, to 1.8%.
During 2021, Veikkaus announced a new loss limit measure, implemented to curb losses on “fast-paced games” such as slots. Initially set at €2,000 per month, that limit was temporarily reduced to €500 in April and then made permanent in June, extending to physical slot machines in August.
Speaking on the results of the report’s findings, Susanna Saikkonen, VP sustainability at Veikkaus said: “It is a pleasure to notice that the sustainability measures we have taken seem to have [had] the desired effects. They help us provide our customers with a gaming environment that is even safer and more responsible than before.”
As with every previous iteration of the report, 5,000 Finnish residents were surveyed and since it was first conducted in 2017, the number of problem gamblers in Finland has always fluctuated between just over 3% to lower.
Veikkaus is hoping that number continues to decrease and intends on introducing an annual loss limit of €15,000, in 2022, to help achieve this aim.