The gambling surveys, commissioned by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, chart Finnish gambling behaviour, attitudes to gambling and problem gambling. The studies use several international instruments. Data are collected every four years.
The data survey the opinions and behavior of Finns aged 15 to 74 regarding gambling. The themes covered include opinions on gambling, gambling, relationships with gambling, the gambling of close people, digital games, and health and well-being. The study was commissioned and funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
First, gambling statements were presented to gauge attitudes towards gambling in general. The next questions were about gambling advertising, the location of gaming machines, government control of gambling, and the problems and harms of gambling.
Next, respondents were asked what gambling games they used to play and how often. Respondents were also asked about their experience with gambling management tools. Other questions included how much money respondents spent on gambling and the reasons for gambling. Adult respondents were then asked if they had assisted someone under 18 to gamble and, conversely, respondents under 18 were asked if they had been enabled by an adult to gamble.
In addition, respondents were asked about their attitudes towards gambling through a series of statements and about the various disadvantages associated with gambling. This was followed by questions on the gambling habits of the respondent's close relatives and any harm they may have suffered because of their gambling. Respondents were also asked whether they played digital games, i.e. video, console, computer or mobile games. Respondents were also asked about any problems they had with playing these games. The questions also asked about the respondents' health and well-being. The health and well-being questions looked at general health, sickness absence, loneliness, mood and alcohol consumption.
The following indicators have been used in the study: Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), Short Gambling Harm Screen (SGHS-10, SGHS-18), Attitudes Towards Gambling Scale (ATGS-8), Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C) and Gaming Addiction Scale (GAS-7).
The background variables include gender, year of birth, marital status, education, income, labor market status and region.
The study was targeted at the population aged 15-74 living in households in mainland Finland. People living in institutions and people whose mother tongue was something other than Finnish, Swedish or Sami language were not included in the study. The sample was selected by drawing a systematic random sample from a population frame, which was formed based on the register data of the Population Register Centre and sorted according to place of residence. This ensured that a regionally representative sample was selected. Sample size was 16 250 people.