The online gaming industry has been booming for a while, particularly in Finland. According to a recent study, as many as 55% of Finns love to game digitally, with the average age moving from the late teens (18) to the mid-thirties. Currently, research seems to show that 35 is the average age for Finnish gamers.
The results come off the back of the recent revelation that Finnish players are the best gamers in the world, beating the likes of the US, South Korea, Japan, and all of Scandinavia. Finland might be known for other things, such as nature and being the home of St Nicholas, but online gaming is quickly becoming the pastime of the nation’s citizens.
A massive gaming industry
The results of the study shouldn’t come as a shock as Finland has been home to one of the biggest gaming sectors in Europe for the past couple of years. In 2018, the industry brought in €1.7 billion and employed more than 3,000 people. The latter is a 16% increase from 2016, where the industry had 2750 employees by the end of the year.
In terms of money, game developer salaries in Helsinki now average between €50,000 and €80,000 a year, making it one of the highest paying destinations in Europe.
When you factor in the fact that a plethora of major creators and developers, such as Supercell and Rovio Entertainment, it’s not hard to see why so many Finns love to spend their free time gaming virtually.
Photo: Pexels.
The state-owned monopoly
There’s a saying in Finland - “A Finn always wins.” No, not via profits, but because of the state-owned monopoly, Veikkaus.
Normally, one business regulating and running the betting industry would be a bad thing, yet Finland does things differently. To begin with, the fact that Finland has the highest gambling rates per capita means the companies pay a lot of tax.
However, there are also altruistic since around €300 million are donated to charitable causes each year. Plus, there is a link between the gambling sector and education and welfare because part of the profits from wagering is channeled back into these areas to improve lives throughout Finland.
Therefore, the gaming and betting stats might be high, but they have positive connotations for the entire nation, which something for Finns to be proud of in many respects.
Gaming has been and continues to be a popular and lucrative industry in Finland, whether it’s online console play or digital casinos and betting companies. However, due to the structure of the market, it’s potentially healthy for Finnish residents.
