Survey: Finns do not Trust Finnish MPs in Gambling Matters

A survey conducted by the company Bilendi Oy on commission from the Kasino Curt, the gambling information website owned by HRF Ltd, shows that Finns are suspicious about the MPs’ motives in matters concerning gambling.

“Finnish MPs want gambling policies that are, first and foremost, beneficial for them.” Well over half of adult Finns (57.3 per cent) agree fully or partially with the above statement. 31.8 per cent of them agree fully with it.

Only 9.9 per cent disagree fully or partially with the statement. A mere 3.3 per cent of Finns disagree fully with it. The rest either cannot say their opinion or have a neutral stance in the matter.

These are some of the findings of the survey commissioned by Kasino Curt, the gambling information website. The interviews were conducted as part of Bilendi Oy’s M3 Panel, a nationwide consumer panel, between 21 and 23 August 2019. The survey error margin is ±3.1 percentage points. A total of 1,000 Finnish adults responded to the survey, and this sample was weighted based on age, gender and place of residence to represent the Finnish population on a national scale.

The results, published by Kasino Curt on its website, show that 55-64-year-olds are particularly suspicious of the MPs in gambling-related matters. As many as two in three of them (66.4 per cent) agree fully or partially with the statement. In contrast, 18-24-year-olds have the most trust in the MPs, with 14.8 per cent of them disagreeing fully or partially with the statement.

“The survey indicates that Finns have recently taken a stricter stance on the monopoly position of Veikkaus Ltd, the government-owned betting agency. Moreover, the idea of removing gambling machines from everyday environments is gaining increasing support across all age groups,” says Janne Juntunen, Senior Client Service Manager for Bilendi Oy.

Indeed, it seems Finns think that the gambling monopoly in Finland is a good example of a regulatory capture.

Listed below are the survey statements and those responses that indicated agreement or disagreement with them (that is to say, the responses “Do not agree or disagree” and “Cannot say” are not included in the listing).

1. Finland is right in justifying its gambling monopoly to the European Union by the monopoly’s usefulness in the prevention of gambling-related problems. 33.3% disagree fully or partially; 32.6% agree fully or partially.

2. Finland should abolish its gambling monopoly and adopt a gambling licence system instead. 28.3% disagree fully or partially; 40.1% agree fully or partially.

3. I believe Finland will abolish its gambling monopoly within ten years. 21.4% disagree fully or partially; 45.3% agree fully or partially.

4. Although the monopoly is justified by mitigation of gambling-related problems, it is nevertheless allowable to market gambling. 39.6% disagree fully or partially; 28.8% agree fully or partially.

5. Veikkaus Ltd’s efforts to decrease the incidence of problem gambling and mitigate its effects are adequate. 44.4% disagree fully or partially; 26.6% agree fully or partially.

6. Gambling machines should be removed from everyday environments such as grocery stores, convenience stores, restaurants and petrol stations. 28.8% disagree fully or partially; 54.8% agree fully or partially.

7. Finnish MPs want gambling policies that are, first and foremost, beneficial for them. 9.9% disagree fully or partially; 57.3% agree fully or partially.

SOURCE HRF Ltd