The promotion of financial literacy is a key priority in the on-going cooperation of the Ministry of Justice, the Bank of Finland, and a network of financial literacy actors, following the the national strategy for financial literacy. Gambling is a key contributor to indebtedness in Finland. The relationship between gambling and indebtedness is also mentioned as a key focus of Finland's gambling policy program. The new research project focuses on the relationship between gambling and indebtedness. It aims to formulate ways to prevent gambling-related indebtedness at a societal level.
CEACG's new research project Prevention of gambling-related indebtedness at the societal level (RAVE) examines the distribution of the gambling consumption of over-indebted individuals between different gambling companies (Veikkaus, off-shore providers), gambling indebtedness and the use of borrowed money across socio-demographic variables and gambling consumption, as well as other harms associated with gambling-related indebtedness.
The research produces information on how gambling-related indebtedness could be prevented on a societal level. Projects that advance financial literacy at an individual level are important, but structural factors may contribute to their succes. At the same time, the promotion of financial literacy can be more effective when spesifically targeted at different groups. The results of the project contribute to identifying structural factors that obstruct financial literacy and help target financial literacy work. The research will also produce recommendations on the regulation and supply of gambling from the perspective of financial literacy.
The Finnish government has decided to end the Veikkaus' monopoly system for certain online gambling products, and to shift to licensing-based system. This opens an opportunity to introduce new regulatory tools and aims in the Finnish Lotteries Act. The prevention of indebtedness should be one of these priorities.
The CEACG cooperates in this project with Takuusäätiö (Guarantee Foundation) Money at Stake project and EHYT ry.
For more information please contact: Virve Marionneau, virve.marionneau@helsinki.fi