Preliminary Study on State Monopoly System for Gambling in Finland Reveals Significant Losses Outside Monopoly System

A preliminary study on the monopoly system for gambling in Finland has been completed and submitted to the Ministry of the Interior. The study aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of affairs and explore alternative models for the gambling system to support political decision-making. According to the study, approximately 5-6% of the population use gambling services outside the state monopoly system, resulting in an estimated loss of EUR 500-550 million per year. The study recommends introducing new restrictions to prevent gambling outside the monopoly system more effectively or switching to a license system for online gambling to achieve a higher channelling rate for online gambling. However, the report highlights that any efforts to introduce a license system must be based on careful assessment and sufficient resources for effective supervision by authorities to prevent gambling-related harm. The study examined the national gambling systems of five reference countries and found that license systems have succeeded in significantly improving the channelling rate for online gambling.