The availability of
gambling is increasing

The gambling system will be reformed in 2027, increasing the availability of gambling. In addition, gambling marketing will increase as related regulation is reduced. The reform concerns gambling products associated with a particularly high risk of harm, such as online casino games.

Special attention should be paid to young people in the changing gambling system, as they face a significant risk of indebtedness due to gambling. At the population level, gambling problems are most common among young men.

Read why young adults must be protected from harms

Remedial package for the gambling system

Senior Researcher Jani Selin outlines THL’s views.

About the topic in more depth

The reform of the gambling system is changing the media environment

In a licence-based system, there will likely be dozens of gambling operators instead of the current single licensed operator. This means increasing competition for customers, leading to a significant rise in gambling marketing. The main beneficiaries of this growth are media companies, advertising agencies, social media influencers and sports actors.

Prevention of harms relies on gambling operators’ duty of care

Gambling operators have an obligation to ensure that their activities cause as little harm as possible. In practice, even minimal duty-of-care measures rely on the customer’s own judgement, and even minor measures can be bypassed.