Takaisinperintä, a law firm which specialises in serving financially vulnerable clients, told the outlet that it had conducted a survey of 765 heavily indebted people, asking them what they had taken out payday loans for.
A total of 28% of respondents said that they had taken out loans for betting and gaming, coming behind payments for clothing, accessories or electronics, with urgent household maintenance the most widely stated reason for taking out a short-term loan.
The findings come at a critical juncture for Finland’s gambling sector, which is in the process of being reformed from a monopoly system to a multi-licence mass market model. The government launched legislation to parliament earlier this year with the goal of creating a multi-licence market in 2026.
Food for Finnish thought
The recent findings may lead to further debate a..