This paper explores the legal and social status of the Åland-based gambling company Paf. Gambling... more This paper explores the legal and social status of the Åland-based gambling company Paf. Gambling and the gambling industry have increasingly moved online. Online provision has had implications for policy particularly due to increased competition in domestic markets from offshore gambling. In offshore gambling, unlicensed operators do not follow predetermined legal rules. Yet, there has been little research addressing the definition of offshore provision. Paf is an excellent example of a company that operates several roles: it is a monopoly on Åland, a licensed operator in some European jurisdictions, and an offshore operator in Mainland Finland. This paper uses key informant interviews (N=5) and legislative texts to study the social and legal implications of Paf's offshore operation. The findings show that offshore provision is heterogeneous and legally complex. A company such as Paf can at the same time operate within the legal framework and provide offshore gambling. This pos...
Background Electronic gambling machines (EGMs) are amongst the most harmful forms of gambling. Th... more Background Electronic gambling machines (EGMs) are amongst the most harmful forms of gambling. The high availability of EGMs is also linked to increased consumption. To reduce the burden of EGMs on public health, policies to reduce their numbers have recently been introduced in Italy and Finland. This study compares the aims and justifications of these legislative changes, as well as their overall impacts on total consumption. Methods The objectives and justifications of policies to reduce the number of EGMs were based on qualitative media analysis. The impacts on total consumption were measured using financial figures provided by gambling providers in Italy and Finland. Results Results show that the reductions in EGM numbers were justified in terms of public health concerns in both countries, but the amplitude of policies varied. In Italy, the reductions were more ambitious than in Finland, and included reductions in the number of gambling locations. The financial data nevertheless...
General population surveys show that gambling is prevalent in many high-income countries. Gamblin... more General population surveys show that gambling is prevalent in many high-income countries. Gambling is not an exclusive activity that only a few people engage in; it has become a popular recreational pursuit, especially in countries where it is legal, accessible, and commercialized. The epidemiological and clinical research reviewed in this chapter indicates that gambling problems tend to be concentrated, though not exclusively, in the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, including ethnic minorities, the homeless, the unemployed, the mentally ill, alcohol and drug users, and those who have lower incomes and socio-economic status. Gambling transfers wealth from the most frequent gamblers to owners of the operating companies, to the government authorities, and to the beneficiaries of direct contributions to “good causes”.
The gambling industry: global structures and modern trends
Setting Limits, 2018
This chapter describes the growth of the global gambling industry in terms of its volume, structu... more This chapter describes the growth of the global gambling industry in terms of its volume, structure, and the distribution of different types of games in different parts of the world over the past 50 years, especially in the first two decades of the twenty-first century. Globalization of the market through the internet threatens the ability of governments to tax or otherwise harvest revenue from gambling. However, liberalizing regulations on gambling started in many countries before the internet became a relevant medium. Fiscal motives and ideological reasons probably explain the liberalizing trend because it started at the same time that deregulation of financial markets affected the supply of credit and boosted digital transactions. Growth in gambling markets has been greatest in North America, Asia , and Europe. Countries with high overall gambling expenditures tend to spend proportionately larger amounts in casinos and on gambling machines outside casinos.
Editorial on the Research Topic Gambling, stigma, suicidality, and the internalization of the 're... more Editorial on the Research Topic Gambling, stigma, suicidality, and the internalization of the 'responsible gambling' mantra
The relationship between gambling and suicides or suicidality has received much research attentio... more The relationship between gambling and suicides or suicidality has received much research attention in recent years. Review studies have already mapped the quantitative occurrence of suicide attempts, suicides, and self-harm among gamblers, and found a positive association. Related comorbidities and conditions have also been charted in previous reviews. However, there is still a gap in knowledge regarding the actual processes that connect gambling and suicidal behavior. To understand these processes, the current paper conducts a systematic review of qualitative evidence on gambling-related suicides and suicidality. The aim was to identify the role of gambling as well as of confounding factors in suicidality, and what kind of support suicidal individuals have received or would need. We searched for relevant literature in seven scientific databases. We included all studies that presented empirical qualitative evidence on gambling-related suicide, suicidality and/or self-harm (N = 20). ...
Näkökulmia vastuulliseen sijoittamiseen maatalous- ja elintarvikesektorilla
Vastuullinen sijoittaminen tarkoittaa sijoitustoimintaa, jossa tähdätään sijoitusten parempaan tu... more Vastuullinen sijoittaminen tarkoittaa sijoitustoimintaa, jossa tähdätään sijoitusten parempaan tuotto- ja riskiprofiiliin huomioimalla sijoituksissa ympäristöön, sosiaaliseen vastuuseen sekä hyviin hallintotapoihin liittyviä näkökulmia eli ESG-näkökulmia. Institutionaaliset sijoittajat hallitsevat suurinta osaa vastuullisesti sijoitetuista varoista. Vastuullisten sijoittajien määrän ja vastuullisesti sijoitettujen varojen ollessa kasvussa, ESG-näkökulmat koskettavat yhä useampaa sektoria, myös maatalous- ja elintarvikesektoria. Kirjallisuuskatsauksessa selvitämme maatalous- ja elintarvikesektorin ESG-näkökulmia. Sektorille erityisiä näkökulmia ovat ruokaturva, ravitsemus, tuoteturvallisuus, eläinten hyvinvointi ja bioteknologian käyttö. Lisäksi sektorilla toimivien yritysten vastuullisuutta tulisi tarkastella koko toimitusketjun laajuisesti. Tarkastelemme myös sisältyvätkö ESG-näkökulmat vastuullisen sijoittamisen aloitteisiin, joihin pohjoismaiset institutionaaliset sijoittajat osallistuvat. Vaikuttaa siltä, että sektorille erityiset ESG-näkökulmat puuttuvat aloitteiden sisällöstä.Peer reviewe
Nordic gambling companies are profitable, but at a cost
popNAD webbplats, Mar 31, 2021
Addiction, agency and affect
PsycEXTRA Dataset
The Global Gambling Industry: Structures, Tactics, and Networks of Impact
Background: Gambling is an important source of public revenue in many countries. Little is known ... more Background: Gambling is an important source of public revenue in many countries. Little is known about how this revenue is generated, and how it depends on product portfolios, operating costs, turnover, and the institutional contexts of the industry. Methods: A comparative analysis of income statements from 30 European gambling companies is reported. Scatter diagrams are used to describe how the surplus depends on volume, operating costs, monopoly status, and the game portfolio measured by aggregate return-to-players (RTP). Company profiles are used to interpret the results. Hypotheses: Commercialization increases aggregate return to players. This is likely to lower the surplus. Low operating costs of automated and fast games compensate for this loss. Commercial companies produce less surplus than monopolies. Results: The surplus is a linear function of the total revenue. Excluding three big companies, total volume is positively associated with the average return percentages but n...
The comparative advantages of license-based and monopolistic gambling regimes have been discussed... more The comparative advantages of license-based and monopolistic gambling regimes have been discussed in previous literature from the perspective of their capacity to prevent harms, but less is known about the ability of different regimes to produce public revenue. Gambling is nevertheless an important source of revenue for public service provision. The current paper compares figures from the financial statements of two monopolistic gambling providers in Finland (Veikkaus) and Norway (Norsk Tipping), to four license-based companies operating in the Italian market (Snaitech, Sisal, Gamenet and HBG gaming) to analyze how much surplus they contribute to their host societies and what kind of factors these amounts depend on. The results show that overall, the Nordic monopolistic operations appear more effective in terms of producing gambling surplus to society than the Italian license-based companies. This difference is analyzed in terms of game product portfolios, operating costs, and level...
Industry strategies and their regulation: marketing, game features, and venue characteristics
Setting Limits, 2018
This chapter focuses on three industry strategies that can be regulated and used as policy levers... more This chapter focuses on three industry strategies that can be regulated and used as policy levers: marketing, game features, and venue characteristics. Research on potential policy levers typically measures problem gambling or its intensity as the target variable, often in terms of population effects or risk factors related to game features or venue characteristics. Policy measures in the public interest have the potential to prevent gambling-related problems significantly, but their targets should be considered in view of the context. In some circumstances it is important to prevent abusive marketing practices. In other instances, addictive game features need to be regulated. A large part of those being initiated to gambling do not understand the risks and the real chances of winning. Transparency and honesty, however difficult to affirm, should in all cases have priority over monetary interests, public or private.
Sosiaali-ja terveysministeriö HARE-numero ja toimielimen asettamispäivä Muistion nimi Sääntelyyn ... more Sosiaali-ja terveysministeriö HARE-numero ja toimielimen asettamispäivä Muistion nimi Sääntelyyn perustuvat rahapelihaittojen ehkäisytoimet ja niiden soveltuvuus Suomen rahapelijärjestelmään Tiivistelmä Sosiaali-ja terveysministeriö antoi 16.2.2017 Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitoksen (THL) rahapeli-ja päihdeasiantuntijoista muodostetulle työryhmälle toimeksiannon selvittää tutkimusnäytön valossa vaikuttavimpia rahapelihaittojen ehkäisytoimia, sekä niiden soveltuvuutta Suomeen. Työryhmä esittää tutkimusnäytön ja asiantuntijatiedon pohjalta kuutta vaikuttavaksi katsomaansa sääntelytoimenpidettä rahapelihaittojen ehkäisemiseksi Suomessa. Esitettävät toimenpiteet ovat: rahapelejä tarjoavien toimipisteiden maantieteellisen keskittymisen ja sijaintipaikkojen rajoittaminen, pelipisteiden määrän rajoittaminen (erityisesti rahapeliautomaattien osalta), pelaamisen rajoittaminen anniskelupaikoissa, pakollinen pelaajan tunnistautuminen, pakolliset pelaajan itse asettamat rajat pelikulutukselle, sekä pelaajan itselleen hakema pelikielto. Työryhmä pitää vaikuttavuuden kannalta tärkeänä toimenpiteiden huolellista toimeenpanoa ja vaikutusten arviointia. Asiasanat rahapelit, rahapelihaitat, rahapelipolitiikka Sosiaali-ja terveysministeriön raportteja ja muistioita 2017:43
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