Each country has their own strategy on how to protect people from gambling harm. The law is usually trying to balance people’s personal freedom with the burden gambling harm puts on the society and the individual. This approach is called Responsible Gambling and is defined as follows:
Responsible gambling (RG) pertains to the idea of protecting users of gambling and the population of any given society in general from the range of harms or related problems they may encounter through the operations of gambling industry in their proximity. It targets both the harms that may affect the gambler and their families, communities, and societies in personal level (e.g. money overspending, health, work, social problems, potential addiction), but also the societal integrity and the fairness of the operations (e.g. provision of integral gambling venues, with no cheating of any sort; preventing money laundering through gambling activities, etc.).
The following approaches can help to reduce gambling harm:
Self-exclusion programs: such programs allow gamblers to give the authority to gambling venues to deny them access to gambling facilities, remove them from the venue if they trespass, give them a fine or other sort of penalty. The length of the exclusion can range from 6 months to several years, or even forever.
Behavioral tracking of play patterns: such programs follow gamblers and methodically compare their patterns of gambling to determine behavioral patterns of people who continue gambling or seize their activity, and the characteristics of their gambling. The results of such tracking can inform stake holders and prevention and harm reduction policies.
Loss and deposit limit setting (for players and corporates): the idea for this practice is to allow the gambler to set a limit to their gambling before the activity commences and before they have experienced any emotional fluctuation due to their gambling, losing or winning. This way, a person is forced to stop at a certain point. This limit can be set for a certain time frame from a day to several months.
Warning messages or restricted game design: Some gambling games are designed to facilitate responsible gambling. One technique is the appearing of messages (in text or in graphics) that warn of the harms of gambling in the periphery or in the middle of electronic gambling machines and guide users to be mindful of their gambling characteristics (e.g., spending, time, emotional engagement, etc.). Other techniques of RG on the design in the display of a clock, the cash available, or the time restriction.
Training employees of gambling facilities to intervene with customers who are at risk of gambling harm: some venues train their employees to recognize patterns of problematic gambling, while other venues might have specified employees, whose purpose is to approach people and discuss what they observe problematic (the later has been found to raise concerns of privacy, embarrassment or apprehension).
Gambling education and information: such as awareness campaigns, booklets, any sort of media that informs the public in general, or specific target population of the harm of gambling.
Onsite or offsite counseling centers: some casinos might offer a booth, or an office where a gambler can discuss with a counsellor before or right after gambling. Otherwise, gambling bet houses might be responsible to fund an offsite counseling center to welcome any person who wishes to receive counseling or therapy for themselves or a family/friend, while protecting their confidentiality.
In the Finnish context this is what the Minsitry of the Interior in Finland states about gambling harm prevention:
“Gambling is for adults only and requires identification. Minors may not play gambling games and such games are not sold on credit. The Lotteries Act stipulates a minimum age of 18 for playing gambling games, in order to protect minors from gambling-related harm. Restrictions on the management of online gambling games are laid down by decree of the Ministry of the Interior.
When gambling, players need to identify themselves and register as customers of Veikkaus Oy. Veikkaus Oy requires registration to ensure the identification of players. Compulsory identification enables the authorities, Veikkaus Oy or players themselves to impose restrictions on gambling. Players can also exclude themselves from gambling and monitor data on their gambling consumption.
In addition to Veikkaus Oy, establishments providing space for slot machines — such as shops and kiosks — must monitor compliance with the age limit. Negligence in monitoring compliance with the age limit may lead to criminal liability.
Restrictions in gambling marketing:
Marketing of gambling may not be targeted at minors or otherwise vulnerable persons, and marketing may not be used to attribute a positive image to heavy and frequent gambling. Neither may marketing portray gambling as an everyday activity or present gambling as a solution to a person’s financial problems. The Lotteries Act also contains provisions on other prohibited marketing methods.
Veikkaus Oy may promote gambling games and the company through marketing if the marketing is moderate in quantity, scope, visibility and recurrence, and necessary to direct gambling demand towards the provision of gambling services laid down in the Lotteries Act and to gambling that causes less harm.
The marketing of games associated with a clear risk of negative effects, such as slot machines and casino games, is prohibited in places other than the specific game rooms and casinos where the games are located. Despite the prohibition on marketing, information may be provided about the locations of these games.
Marketing of gambling games other than those run by Veikkaus Oy is prohibited. The National Police Board may prohibit marketing that violates the Lotteries Act and impose a conditional fine to reinforce the prohibition. A penalty payment may be imposed for marketing that violates the Lotteries Act and it may also be imposed on a private person. Furthermore, payment blocks may be imposed on gambling operators that are not in the exclusive rights system and that engage in marketing that violates the Lotteries Act. “ (Ministry of the Interior-Finland, 2024)
Veikkaus, the Finnish state-owned gambling operator has translated the previous policies into the following Responsible Gambling strategy: https://www.veikkaus.fi/fi/yritys#!/responsible-gaming/responsible-gaming/responsible-gaming?lang=en.
Task:
What do you think about the Finnish law regarding gambling harm prevention? Is it effective? Why are minors still able to gamble despite the age restriction? If you think of Veikkaus’ responsible gambling strategy, do you think people who would like to stop gambling are supported enough? Can one do more? Write a blog post and comment to one other post! (Link)
Looking at the statistics, minors are engaging in gambling. Furthermore, there are multiple cases where gambling operators have ignored the Finnish laws on gambling content exposure or advertising. The Finnish police has released this following videos on this topic (in Finnish):
Since our law and law enforcement as well as RG strategies do not necessarily protect us sufficiently from gambling harms, people who want to protect themselves or others from gambling harms need to take things into their own hands. Here are some ideas:
Install gamban: an app which takes a multi-layered approach to blocking tens of thousands of gambling websites and apps worldwide.
Join a peer-support group: If you are worried about your own gambling behavior or of someone you know, become part of a peer support group by connecting with Pelirajaton: https://pelirajaton.fi/vertaistukea/vertaisryhmat/
If the help is more urgently needed, this following service is free and helps you to navigate to the appropriate help: https://www.peluuri.fi or just call this number: tel:+358800100101
A good way to start practicing gambling harm prevention in your own life is to track your own gambling behaviour with the help of the table below:
| date & time spent playing | What you played, where and with whom | Final result i.e. wins/losses | Situation before playing | State of mind before playing | Consequences of playing and feelings after the game |
This will help you to get a realistic picture of your own behavior, feelings and motivation about gambling without the judgement of others. In the next chapter you can also learn how you can protect yourself from sliding into gambling activities.