Maintenance of a gambling monopoly in the EU: Finland’s gambling policy as a case

The EU Member States in general have striven to comply with Court of Justice of the European Union rulings while holding on to their national regulatory power as far as possible. The Finnish gambling policy is an example. The analysis is based on case law and policy documents. The results of the analysis point to the interpretation that Finland has successfully contained the EU’s politico-legal influence on its national gambling policy and to a great extent kept regulatory power in its own hands. It is suggested that the development of the Finnish gambling policy in relation to the EU from the early period of Finland’s accession to present day can be productively interpreted as having been formulated from national starting points but with ‘EU in mind’. Finland has managed to secure its national competence regarding its gambling policy. The national discretion has even increased and it is hard to perceive much EU influence in the decision to merge the three gambling monopoly operators into one in 2017. It is concluded that it seems likely that EU will in the future allow more national discretion for Member States

Rahapelihaittojen ehkäisyn ja vähentämisen tulee säilyä rahapelipolitiikkaa ohjaavana periaatteena

Rahapelijärjestelmän uudistamista vaaditaan yhä kiivaammin. Nykyinen rahapelijärjestelmä perustuu yksinoikeuteen. Sen tilalle on esitetty siirtymistä lisensseihin perustuvaan rahapelijärjestelmään verkkorahapelien kohdalla. Muutosta on perusteltu erityisesti sillä, että sääntelyn ulkopuolisten verkkorahapelien pelaaminen olisi lisääntynyt. Tästä ei ole varmaa tietoa. Aihetta koskevassa keskustelussa rahapelihaittojen ehkäisy ja vähentäminen ovat jääneet sivuun. Vaikka järjestelmää uudistettaisiin, rahapelihaittojen ehkäisyn ja vähentämisen tulisi olla rahapelipolitiikan tärkein tavoite. Järjestelmästä riippumatta onnistunut haittojen ehkäisy ja vähentäminen edellyttää tehokkaiden toimenpiteiden systemaattista toimeenpanoa

Politics of hesitance and the formation of ethical subjects through responsible gambling practices

IntroductionInstead of harm prevention and risk related to gambling products, responsible gambling discourse emphasizes the importance of voluntary measures. From the point of view of governmentality, the responsible gambling practices produce, rely on, and call forth subjectivities. The aim of the study is to find out what kind of subjects are being produced through the responsible gambling practices of four Nordic state-owned gambling companies. As the companies are state-owned and operate on different types of markets, there are reasons to suspect that the companies could endorse different versions of the figure of responsible gambler. Previous research indicates that responsible gambling practices typically presuppose or aim to produce a self-governing subject making informed choices. Less attention has been given to detailed analyses of the heterogeneous factors contributing to the ethical subject formation. Moreover, there is a growing body of literature indicating, that along with the use of detailed behavioral data (big data), new forms of governmentality, that are highly relevant from the point of view of subject formation, are emerging.MethodsThe responsible gambling practices are analyzed along Michel Foucault's four aspects of ethics. First, there is ethical substance, the problematic aspect of the self that is taken as the target of the ethical work. Second, the subject needs to have a certain relation to social norms and moral codes. Third, ethical work is needed to mold the problematic aspect of the self. Fourth, the aim of the ethical work is a certain mode of being or relationship to oneself. The analyzed material consists of the annual reports of the companies between 2019 and 2021.Results and discussionThe results show that the figure of subject making informed voluntary choices is deeply embedded in the responsible gambling practices of the companies. The companies entice the gamblers to think about themselves and to act upon themselves as subjects capable of self-control. Hesitancy to intervene characterizes the activities of the companies, even if all the companies collect and use detailed behavioral data. The inclusion of the precarious subject of gambling harm would allow the companies to do much more to prevent gambling harm

The density of electronic gambling machines and area-level socioeconomic status in Finland : a country with a legal monopoly on gambling and a decentralised system of EGMs

Background: Electronic gambling machines (EGMs) are considered a risky form of gambling. Internationally, studies have reported that the density of EGMs tends to be higher in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas than in more advantaged ones. We examined whether this holds true in the Finnish context where a decentralised system of EGMs guarantees wide accessibility to this form of gambling. More precisely, we investigated the association between the density of EGMs and area-level socio-economic status (SES). Methods: The primary measure was the EGM density, referring to the number of EGMs per 1000 adults. The area-level SES was defined on the basis of the median income of inhabitants, the proportion of unemployment in the area and educational attainment (% of those beyond primary education). Three additional area characteristics were used as control variables in the analyses; the overall population density, economic activity (the number of jobs in the area per employed inhabitant), and the mean age of the inhabitants. Analyses were based on linear regression. Results: The EGM density was 3.68 per 1000 inhabitants (SD = 2.63). A lower area-level SES was correlated with a higher EGM density. In further analyses, this effect was mostly explained by the income of the inhabitants. Of the control variables, the population density had no detectable effect on the EGM density while areas with a higher mean age of the inhabitants, as well a higher density of jobs, had more EGMs. Conclusions: EGMs are unequally located in Finland, with more EGMs located in socio-economically less advantaged areas. The higher machine density in areas of social disadvantage is not in line with the aim of the Finnish gambling policy, which is to prevent and reduce harm caused by gambling. Changes in policy are required, especially with regard to the decisions on the placement of EGMs. This should not be made solely by gaming operators and/or from fiscal perspectives.Peer reviewe

National Market Protectionist Gambling Policies in the European Union : The Finnish Gambling Monopoly Merger as a Case in Point

A rapidly growing globalized and digitalized gambling industry has compelled European jurisdictions to take action in order to secure some level of gambling market control, to secure public funds from gambling, and to protect citizens from gambling-related harm. This study concerns the market protectionist endeavour to merge three gambling operators into one state-owned monopoly in Finland in 2017. The justification of the systemic change is analysed in key policy documents and media reporting that discerns the political narratives that nudged the monopoly merger from the idea stage to its completion. Within the narratives, the merger is presented as necessary due to the threats of market intrusion by foreign gambling operators and the likelihood of an internal system implosion framed by European Union (EU) law. The worries expressed in the studied materials plug into a general zeitgeist of globalization. The justifications of the systemic change presuppose the inevitable determination of the change and an innate and constant human desire to gamble. Critical views on the merger were introduced in the media at a late stage, stressing the role of the media as a facilitator and manufacturer of political consent. The study demonstrates how market protectionist justifications can, through the maintenance of a regulated gambling market, assure preservation of national public funds obtained from gambling in the EU. The official gambling policy objective of securing public health played a secondary role in the process.Peer reviewe