Comparing policies to reduce the supply of electronic gambling machines in Italy and Finland

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Author(s): Marionneau, Virve ; Mandolesi, Gabriele ; Rolando, Sara ; Nikkinen, Janne

Journal: BMC Public Health

Year Published: 2022

Date Added: August 03, 2022

Both Finland and Italy had recently introduced policies to reduce the number of electronic gambling machines (EGMs) in non-casino locations. The researchers analysed news articles to explore the objectives of the policies and their justifications. They also examined the impacts on total consumption. The EGM reduction was justified in terms of public health concerns in both countries. But, the reduction was limited in extent compared to initial suggestions. The decline in total consumption was not proportional to the reduction in the number of EGMs. The researchers suggested that the EGM reduction in Italy and Finland had not been significant enough.

Citation: Marionneau, V., Mandolesi, G., Rolando, S., & Nikkinen, J. (2022). Addressing gambling harms by reducing the supply of electronic gambling machines: A comparative study of Italy and Finland. BMC Public Health, 22, 1016. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13398-0

Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13398-0

Keywords: Electronic Gambling Machines (EGMs) ; gambling ; gambling harm ; gambling legislation ; public policy ; regulatory response ; Total Consumption Model

Topics: Game Types ; Information for Operators ; Information for Policy Makers ; Slots and VLTs

Conceptual Framework Factors: Exposure - Accessibility ; Gambling Environment ; Environment - Public Policy ; Gambling Exposure

Study Design: Mixed Methods

Geographic Coverage: Finland ; Italy

Study Population: Newspaper articles (n = 62) for the media analysis, and financial figures and EGM numbers for analysis of the policy impacts on total consumption

Sampling Procedure: For the media analysis, the researchers obtained newspaper articles from online databases. There were 17 articles obtained from the best-selling newspaper in Italy, Corriere della Sera. There were 45 articles obtained from two main sources in Finland; 13 were from the largest daily newspaper in Finland, Helsingin Sanomat, and 32 were collected using an online database collecting news via RSS feeds of other publicly available Finnish newspapers and media sources. In Finland, financial figures and EGM numbers were requested from the monopoly holder Veikkaus using official data request protocols. In Italy, financial data were obtained from the ADM Libro Blu between 2016 and 2019.

Study Funding:

This study was funded by the Academy of Finland, which is partially financed from funds that emanate from the Finnish gambling monopoly (through the Ministry of Culture and Education). Open access of this article was funded by Helsinki University Library.