Suchergebnisse

AIMS - The principles of free trade and free circulation of services within the European Union have created pressures to make the strictly controlled European gambling markets more open. According to the Court of Justice of the European Union, restrictions on gambling are only allowed if they are justified in admissible terms of consumer protection, prevention of criminal activity and protection of public order. This study compares the gambling laws of two European societies, France and Finland, to analyse how their legal frames of gambling have been adjusted to these principles. DESIGN - The data consists of up-to-date legislation on gambling in Finland and France. A qualitative analysis was conducted to study whether new ways of justifying have been included in legislative texts and if these are substantiated by measures related to consumer protection or crime prevention. RESULTS - France has mainly justified its restrictive policies on gambling in terms of preventing criminal activities while the Finnish legislation highlights the charitable causes funded by gambling proceeds, a claim not accepted by the Court of Justice of the European Union. Consumer protection is increasingly stressed in both countries, and the range of rationales has also grown notably since 2007. CONCLUSION - While the vocabularies of justification accepted by the CJEU have expanded since 2007, these have not been substantiated by many new legislative measures. This is not attributed to political ill will but rather to the difficulty of changing existing legislative traditions. ; Peer reviewed

Finland has one of the last fully monopolistic gambling sectors in Europe. Unlike in most Western European countries, the monopoly is also consolidated and enjoys a wide support as opposed to license-based competition. This paper analyses whether this preference for monopoly provision is due to the particularities of the Finnish society or rather to those of the Finnish gambling sector. We do this by comparing public discourses in media texts (N=143) from 2014 to 2017 regarding monopolies operating in alcohol retail, rail traffic and gambling sectors. The results show that gambling appears to be special even in the Finnish national context. While the Finnish alcohol retail and railroad traffic markets have been liberalised during the study period, the gambling monopoly has been concurrently strengthened despite similar political and international pressures towards dismantling. The discussion suggests that the differing outcomes reflect the varying positions of monopolies, their stakeholders and the justifications put forward. Intertwined stakeholder interests in the gambling sector appear to amplify consensus politics and set gambling apart from the other cases.

Finnish state monopolies have been in a state of change during the mid-2010s. This paper focuses on the developments of the alcohol retail, railroad and gambling sectors during this period by analysing media texts (N=143) from 2014 to 2017 and with the concepts of Kingdon's Multiple Streams Framework (MSF). Results show how the convergence of politics, policies and problematizations opened policy windows for government initiatives to liberalize alcohol retail and railroad traffic markets while consolidating the gambling monopoly. The differing outcomes are surprising given that they all took place under the same liberal right-wing government, as well as under obligations to dismantle monopolies in the European Union and in accordance with international commerce treaties. The explanation unfolds by looking at the stakeholders and their justifications. Differing outcomes also reflect the varying trajectories through which the policy processes proceeded, although they seem to conclude with consensus and at least a semblance of agreement between the different parties when a decision is reached. The study gives insight into how state monopolies are negotiated in contemporary Europe. ; Peer reviewed

PurposeGambling is used to raise public funds through taxes, fees and direct contributions. The rent generated can be distributed through two basic models: absorbing the surplus into state budgets and institutions, or channeling funds to civil society organizations (CSOs). However, gambling also causes negative externalities. The purpose of this paper is to focus on how the beneficiaries of gambling in two societies representing these opposite models respond to the moral issue of accepting funds from a source that causes harm to some.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis is conducted by applying the moral disengagement (MD) model to qualitative interviews conducted with beneficiaries of gambling in Finland and France. In Finland, the majority of gambling revenue is redistributed to CSOs, who also exercise a strong influence and are heavily involved in the system. In France, most gambling proceeds are directed to the central state, making other beneficiaries less powerful.FindingsThe results of this paper show that in France, where the state is a strong beneficiary, other actors express more political awareness and debate than in the Finnish model in which CSOs benefit and are tightly implicated in the system. On the other hand, the involvement of Finnish actors in the system encouraged them to accept moral responsibility for the harm caused by gambling.Originality/valueThe paper provides policymakers information on beneficiaries' implication and position in different types of models of dividing the rent of gambling, and the academic audience with a comparative and sociological application of the MD model.

Rajaseuduille sijoittunut rahapelitoiminta on kansainvälisesti yleistä, mutta Suomessa rahapelien vienti rajojen yli on ollut vähäistä. Käsittelemme tässä artikkelissa Suomesta Venäjälle suuntautunutta rahapelitarjontaa 1990-luvulta tähän päivään aiemman kirjallisuuden ja olemassa olevan tilastoaineiston valossa. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on kuvata, millaista rahapelitarjonta Suomesta Venäjälle ja venäläisille on ollut, ja millaiset poliittiset ja taloudelliset seikat ovat vaikuttaneet tähän suhteeseen. Tarkastelu jaksottuu kolmeen ajanjaksoon, jotka liittyvät etenkin venäläisen rahapelijärjestelmän muutoksiin sääntelytasolla, ja suomalaisten rahapelitoimijoiden mahdollisuuksiin. Näitä ovat venäläisten rahapelimarkkinoiden kasvuaika 1990-luvulla, vuoden 2006 rahapeliuudistuksen rajoittama markkinaympäristö ja uusien markkinoiden synty sekä vuoden 2014 jälkeinen aika, johon on liittynyt niin ruplan romahtaminen kuin koronapandemian tuomat haasteet matkailulle
Finland and the Russian gambling market
Gambling operations in border regions are common internationally, but Finnish cross-border gambling offers have been scarce. This paper discusses how Finnish gambling operators have attempted to access the Russian market since the 1990s, based on previous literature and existing statistical information. The aim is to describe whether and how Finnish actors have exported gambling to Russia or Russians, and what kind of political and economic factors have influenced the commercial relationship. The analysis focuses on three periods determined by regulatory changes in Russian gambling and the related possibilities for the Finnish gambling offer. These are the growth period of the 1990s, the restrictive gambling law of 2006 and the new market environment, and the period starting from 2014 characterised by challenges to tourism and business following the financial crisis and the coronavirus pandemic.

Intro -- Preface -- Contents -- Notes on Contributors -- List of Figures -- List of Tables -- 1 Introduction: Gambling Regulations and the Use of Gambling Revenues in European Welfare States -- References -- Part I Gambling for State-Run Welfare -- 2 Gambling for the State: The Collection and Redistribution of Gambling Proceeds in France -- Introduction -- Beneficiaries of Gambling in France -- Methods and Data -- Use of Funds -- The State as a Beneficiary -- Discussion and Conclusions -- References -- 3 Italian Gambling Regulation: Justifications and Counter-Arguments -- Introduction -- Methods -- The History of Italian Gambling Legislation -- The Gambling Industry's Corporate Social Responsibility and the Beneficiaries' Attitude -- Discussion -- Conclusions -- References -- 4 Gambling Policies and Law in Austria -- Introduction -- The Conformity with EU Law in the Judicature of the Supreme Courts -- Judgement of the VwGH (Administrative High Court) -- Judgement of the OGH (Supreme Court on Civil and Criminal Matters) -- Judgement of the VfGH (Constitutional Court) -- Overview of the Gambling Market -- The Structure and the Objectives of the Monopoly -- Gambling Operators -- Duties Arising from a Concession -- Requirements of the Award Procedure -- Consumer Protection -- Responsible Advertising -- Beneficiaries of Gambling -- The Enforcement of the Monopoly -- Conclusion -- References -- 5 Gambling Regulation in Spain -- Introduction -- General Gambling Legislation in Spain -- The Legislation from 1977 to 2011 -- The Legislation of 2011 and the Following Years -- The Regulation of National Lotteries -- The Regulation of the ONCE Coupon -- The Regulation of Electronic Gambling Machines -- The Regulation of Bingo Halls and Casinos -- The Regulation of Online Gambling -- A Bad Consequence of Gambling: Problem and Pathological Gambling.

'This wide ranging and comprehensive volume for the first time situates the growing complexities of European gambling in their wider socio-economic context. Highly readable and engaging, the chapters explore important issues such as welfare and justice, ethics and competition, and the role of law and the state. In doing so, the volume tackles the political and regulatory patchwork that characterises gambling provision across Europe, as well as suggesting some innovative ways of thinking about its future.' Gerda Reith, University of Glasgow, UK 'This volume goes beyond the often limited focus in gambling studies and gambling policies on legal arguments and cost-benefit analyses of national gambling markets, by revealing and analyzing the very diverse, highly controversial and complex contradictory relationships between gambling markets, public interests and the EU context.' Sytze F. Kingma, VUniversity Amsterdam, Netherlands This edited book draws on a cross-cultural and historical lens to theoretically and practically analyse gambling regulations and the use of gambling revenue. It takes on a broad spectrum of perspectives, from the origin of the money, to the regulators, operators and beneficiaries of gambling, and looks at the interests, networks and power relations involved. This multidisciplinary collection elicits a shift in analysis, shedding light on a broader societal, historical and economic view of gambling and gambling policies, by its attention to implicit networks of power, influential legislation, gambling provision and infrastructure. Gambling Policies in European Welfare States will be of interest to students and scholars alike who are seeking cross-national and interdisciplinary analyses of welfare, politics, sociology and economics

'This wide ranging and comprehensive volume for the first time situates the growing complexities of European gambling in their wider socio-economic context. Highly readable and engaging, the chapters explore important issues such as welfare and justice, ethics and competition, and the role of law and the state. In doing so, the volume tackles the political and regulatory patchwork that characterises gambling provision across Europe, as well as suggesting some innovative ways of thinking about its future.' Gerda Reith, University of Glasgow, UK 'This volume goes beyond the often limited focus in gambling studies and gambling policies on legal arguments and cost-benefit analyses of national gambling markets, by revealing and analyzing the very diverse, highly controversial and complex contradictory relationships between gambling markets, public interests and the EU context.' Sytze F. Kingma, VUniversity Amsterdam, Netherlands This edited book draws on a cross-cultural and historical lens to theoretically and practically analyse gambling regulations and the use of gambling revenue. It takes on a broad spectrum of perspectives, from the origin of the money, to the regulators, operators and beneficiaries of gambling, and looks at the interests, networks and power relations involved. This multidisciplinary collection elicits a shift in analysis, shedding light on a broader societal, historical and economic view of gambling and gambling policies, by its attention to implicit networks of power, influential legislation, gambling provision and infrastructure. Gambling Policies in European Welfare States will be of interest to students and scholars alike who are seeking cross-national and interdisciplinary analyses of welfare, politics, sociology and economics.--

AbstractIn Europe, gambling policy is conditioned by different administrative levels, including national authorities and the EU, as well as institutions of the European Economic Area (EEA). The legal framework of the EU/EEA requires Member States to pursue evidence‐based policy. The current scoping review focuses on what kind of policy research is available on gambling in the European context to support evidence‐based policy. We searched three scientific databases for research literature on gambling regulation and policy in the European context. The final sample consists of 88 papers. We analysed the corpus with Term Frequency‐Inverse Document Frequency mapping, and, narratively, by applying the policy cycle phases (agenda‐setting, formulation, adoption, implementation, and evaluation). Overall, the results show that gambling policy research is a growing field in Europe, and the policy cycle describes the available literature amply. The largest part of the existing research concerns the evaluation phase, while the formulation and implementation phases are under‐represented. The findings are discussed in terms of the main outcomes, as well as in terms of the gaps in the existing research.

Purpose of Review: This systematic literature review evaluates the potential of gambling monopolies to affect gambling harms. It compares the occurrence of gambling harms in jurisdictions with gambling monopolies to jurisdictions with license-based regimes. Recent Findings: The review identified 21 publications concerning three gambling-related harm indicators: problem gambling prevalence, total consumption, and the appearance of conflicts of interest. Due to the dearth of literature, concept papers and older publications were also included. Summary: Results show that there is a paucity of empirical research on the effectiveness of different regulatory regimes in affecting gambling harms. Available research demonstrates that monopolistic regimes appear to perform somewhat better in terms of problem gambling prevalence and total consumption but may also be more prone to conflicts of interest than license-based regimes. Monopolistic configurations also differ between themselves, and issues such as availability, accessibility, product range, scope of preventive work, monitoring, as well as the recognition of the public health approach may better predict the levels of harm in society than the existence of a monopoly. ; Peer reviewed

Gambling is an addictive behaviour that causes significant harms to individuals, families and societies. Problematic gambling can have profound impacts on family life, including financial destitution and relationship breakdown. In addictive relationships, addictive behaviour dominates over other social commitments.
The COVID-19 pandemic had important implications on family life and gambling behaviours. This is likely to have affected family relationships in families experiencing gambling harms. The current study uses evidence from a qualitative survey (N=39) and interviews (N=5) collected with family members of gamblers to explore how family members of gamblers experienced addictive relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland.
The results show that gambling negatively affects intimate relationships, relationality and interdependencies in families. For many, gambling-related harms were accentuated by the intensification of addictive relationships during the pandemic. For others, availability restrictions of gambling brought relief. The results also show a need for more family-oriented help services and highlight the importance of prevention.

Gambling and problem gambling studies tend to be characterised by individual-based approaches both theoretically and methodologically, while sociological approaches remain underutilised or even marginal. In this study, we discuss the potential of Niklas Luhmann's systems theory in the analysis of gambling. As opposed to positivist or individualistic approaches, Luhmann's work is strongly constructivist: neither systems nor their components are seen to be made up of individuals. Using systems theory in informing gambling research distances the research interests from individuals and directs it towards societal mechanisms, structures, and processes. Therefore, a systems theoretical approach can offer novel tools to study gambling, but also the paradigm of gambling research itself. This paper demonstrates how systems theory can critically inform gambling research through five operationalisations: gambling as a system, the gambling experience, the regulation of gambling economies, gambling providers as organisations, and systems theory as a methodological program. These five operationalisations can serve as an important window to widen perspectives on gambling.