Cause or symptom?
Finns have a very permissive, even positive attitude towards gambling. It has been normalised for grandparents to give scratch cards to their grandkids for Christmas and many people in Finland have grown up around slot machines and have even been encouraged to participate in gambling by a parent. Because gambling is so common in Finland, and almost everybody gambles at some level, people who face gambling harm often feel ashamed and keep their struggles to themselves – as Finns usually like to do.
In 2019, Finns lost about 1.8 billion euros to gambling. The most concerning thing is, that half of the total gaming margin (around 900 million euros) came from only 2.5% of the gamblers. More than half of this amount came from the 112 000 people in Finland with gambling disorder. And these are only the numbers of the Finnish monopoly stake holder, Veikkaus - people gamble a lot online on foreign gambling sites.
Numerous studies around the world have shown that gambling disorder is much more common among people who have committed crimes than the general population. Also, as we know, excessive gambling leads to financial problems. When all the money is spent on gambling, and the urge to continue gambling is huge, people can end up committing crimes to get more money. The most typical crimes committed due to gambling addiction are property crimes, such as fraud, embezzlement and payment offenses.
So, which is the cause, and which is the consequence? Is gambling an attempt to finance criminal activity or its consequences? Or do people commit crimes to fund gambling?
This is probably very case-specific. Gambling is not necessarily even related to the crimes committed or vice versa - the reason is deeper.
Unfortunately, people with gambling disorder often face other worries as well - low income, poor health condition, substance abuse and/or criminal behavior are often associated with excessive gambling. Inequality and exclusion are often at the root of both criminal behavior and excessive gambling. Excluded or marginalized people are often referred to as disadvantaged people. Let’s remember, that they have not chosen to be in a weaker position. They have been left out and lost the elements that a person needs to be able to do well.
Many wiser ones have listed these elements or needs, but I personally would put safety, health, and inclusion at the top of the list. Without a home, food, ability to function, social interaction, or opportunity to influence one's own life, how would you be coping? A person who is lacking these basic elements, will sooner or later face problems. Those problems are symptoms. Symptoms of being left out.
Of course, it is important to provide help and support for the symptoms, such as heavy substance use, gambling, or criminal behavior. But how can we assume that anyone could profit from any treatment if the actual cause of the poor situation remains there? Would it be more useful, both at the individual and societal level, to understand that often the problems are symptoms, and we need a wider understanding and multiprofessional cooperation to make a difference?
When we encounter a person who is not doing well, the first thing we should check are the basic needs mentioned in the previous paragraph. To successfully tackle the need and desire to gamble, we must first understand what that individual has gained or sought from gambling. If gambling has been a way to try to get more money, we need to examine why the money was needed and why their own income was not enough. If gambling is in control but the person is spending more than they can afford, the problem is still there. A person, who has been in prison for years, will not profit from any rehabilitation periods if they are released on the street without a home or any meaningful networks or activities. It doesn’t matter what kind of treatment or rehabilitation the person has gone through, if they are left to deal with the same problems that caused them the symptoms they got treated for.
Professionals need to cooperate to address the actual problems and not only treat the symptoms caused by those challenges. Would the hospital’s emergency room send a recently resuscitated patient home as soon as the heart starts beating, and wish them all the best in the future? No. It’s their responsibility to make sure that the patient gets the treatment they need to stay well. So why would we just treat one symptom and assume that is enough for anyone to get better or even maintain the results we have accomplished? At least I like to go to sleep knowing that I’ve been supporting my client’s rehabilitation and not just giving first aid to one symptom.
Facts about gambling in Finland:
State monopoly for over 70 years (state-owned company Veikkaus Oy)
Gambling is regulated by the Lotteries Act
Almost 80% of the Finns gamble yearly
29% gamble at least once a week
Around 11% of the population (397,000 people) gambled at a risk level
Around 3 % of the population (112,000 people) have experienced gambling harm
Sofia Holmberg works at the Finnish Foundation for Supporting Ex-offenders as a project manager for the RISERaPeli project. RISERaPeli aims to train the staff of the Prison and Probation Service of Finland to identify and support clients who have gambling problems. The project also provides treatment for community sanctions clients with gambling problems so that they can get in control with their excessive gambling during their sentence and have better abilities to live without committing crimes in the future.
Sources:
Finnish institute for health and welfare: Gambling
Gambling and problem gambling: Finnish Gambling 2019: Prevalence of at-risk gambling has decreased