Deriving lower-risk gambling limits from data collected in four cross-sectional Finnish surveys

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Science
• Addiction Research

Background:

• Examines the relationship between gambling participation and gambling-related harms (GRHs) in Finland.
• Utilizes four nationally representative cross-sectional datasets spanning 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023.
• Informs the development of Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines (LRGGs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish lower-risk limits for gambling participation based on gambling-related harms.
• To analyze trends in gambling participation and associated risks over time.
• To provide evidence for the implementation of Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines in Finland.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 14,163 adult participants who gambled in the past year across four datasets.
• Calculation of lower-risk limits for gambling frequency, number of gambling types, and gambling expenditure as a percentage of income (GEPI).
• Derivation of gambling-related harm indicators from the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI).

Main Results:

• Lower-risk limits for gambling frequency remained consistent (6 days/month).
• The limit for the number of gambling types decreased in 2023 (2 types) compared to earlier data (3 types).
• Stricter lower-risk limits for GEPI were observed in 2019 and 2023 (2.0%) versus 2011-2015 (3.0%).

Conclusions:

• Recent Finnish data indicate more stringent risk limits for gambling types and expenditure.
• Original LRGGs were deemed suitable despite observed shifts in risk limits.
• Findings support the ongoing implementation and refinement of LRGGs in Finland.