Problem gambling (PG) is known to cause many financial, emotional, and social harms. However, the burden of harm at the societal level is greater among people with low-risk gambling because there are more of them. This phenomenon is called the "prevention paradox." One approach is to develop Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines (LRGG) for people who gamble. Over the past decade, researchers have developed and refined the LRGG. However, it is unknown the extent to which these guidelines are culturally appropriate for Finland.
The purpose of this study was to assess the LRGG among adults in Finland. In a sample of 778 people, it was found that the guidelines were rated positively. However, ratings for perceived effectiveness were lower. Also, people with ‘at-risk’ gambling rated the LRGG more negatively and were more pessimistic about the LRGG’s effectiveness. Overall, the results suggest that views of the guidelines differ according to experience with gambling and gambling severity.
