Assessment of risks associated with gambling
The working group examines the gambling services of Veikkaus and their development and participates in the official processes used to guide gambling services.
The working group is appointed for two years at a time, and it consists of experts on gambling and gambling-related harm from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, the University of Helsinki, the University of Tampere and the Gambling Clinic (Peliklinikka).
Influencing the supply of gambling services is a key means to prevent and reduce gambling-related harm. When it comes to the supply of gambling services, it is possible to reduce gambling-related harm and risks by influencing the features of gambling, the gambling environment and the games sales and by introducing different kinds of gambling restrictions and tools for controlling gambling.
Assessing the risks associated with gambling is part of the implementation of the duties related to preventing and reducing gambling-related harm that are assigned to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health under section 52 of the Lotteries Act.
The assessment focuses on:
- the features and characteristics of games
- gambling restrictions and control methods
- the availability and accessibility of gambling products and
- marketing.
In creating harm profiles for gambling products, use is made of technical measurements and expert evaluations, relevant academic research and information from support services on the situation of those seeking help. In addition, the assessment makes use of the information on the experiences of players with gambling problems and other information on gambling-related harm.
The assessment takes account of Veikkaus’s gambling services and the gambling services outside this system and their effects. The information on gambling and players provided by Veikkaus is gaining a more important role in the assessment.