Young people in Finland have been gambling less since the country raised the minimum gambling age from 15 to 18 in 2011, although a large number of students aged 15-16 still gamble regularly.
A report from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) found that underage gambling has decreased since Finland raised the age limit for slot machines from 15 to 18 in 2011. However, a quarter of underage boys continue to play slots.
Before the changes to the Lotteries Act, 87% of men and 54% of women gambled on slot machines, according to the 2011 edition of the survey.
By 2024, that figure had dropped to 25% for men and 6% for women. The mixed prevalence rate for both genders showed that 24% still played slot machines in 2019, although this year the figure has dropped to 16%.
Among both genders, slot gambling has dropped from 24% in 2019 to 16% in 2024.
While the report highlights a decline in underage gambling activity between 2011 and 2024, Antti Koivula from Finnish law firm Legal Gaming questioned the reporting. It is surprising that the decline in participation was a positive effect of the 18+ minimum age, rather than the fact that underage gambling is still widespread.
The problem persists: 15% of Finnish schoolchildren admitted to gambling between April 2023 and April 2024, according to data from 177 schools. The 2014 survey was expanded to include online gambling, lotteries and card games, tracking overall gambling activity among teenagers. The report, conducted every four to five years, also tracks alcohol and drug use among European teenagers.
In 2023, 25% of men and 4% of women under 18 reported gambling, down from 46% of men and 21% of women in 2019. The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare’s study is part of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD), and additional data will be published in 2025.
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