Gambling is very popular in Finland, but the motives behind Finnish gambling behaviour have not been studied extensively. Motives refer to the psychological reasons for gambling. In her dissertation in the field of social psychology, Heli Hagfors examined the role of gambling motives in both general gambling participation and problem gambling. According to the study, the most common motives for gambling among Finns were winning money and positive feelings, such as excitement and pleasure. Other motives for gambling included socialising, supporting a worthy cause, and escaping difficult emotions and thoughts.
The research supports the idea that certain gambling motives, such as money and escaping, are more strongly associated with gambling problems than other motives. The findings suggest that gambling for money is especially problematic in certain situations, whereas gambling to escape difficult emotions and thoughts may already be a sign of emerging problem gambling.
“Gambling for money predicts problem gambling especially strongly when it is accompanied by the frustration of basic psychological needs,” Hagfors says. Basic psychological needs refer to an individual’s need to experience autonomy, competence and relatedness.
The frustration of these needs can manifest, for example, as loneliness or a feeling of lack of control over one’s life. If these psychological needs are frustrated, individuals may begin to seek for substitutes such as money or social status. Gambling may seem like an easy way to earn money and gain appreciation, but in the long term, it can lead to problem gambling.
The study also found that women gambled for money more often than men, and that young people were particularly motivated by social reasons and positive feelings such as excitement, but also by the desire to escape unpleasant emotions and thoughts. According to Hagfors, this may reflect the normalisation of gambling as a leisure activity among young people. However, for some individuals, this seemingly harmless pastime can develop into problem gambling, which is most prevalent among young adults.
The dissertation consists of four peer-reviewed research articles and shows that gambling motives play a significant role in gambling behaviour and the development of gambling problems. The research utilised both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs and focused on the Finnish adult population.
Public defence on Friday 26 September
Heli Hagfors’s doctoral dissertation in social psychology, Why Do We Gamble? An integrative approach to gambling motives and problem gambling, will be publicly examined at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Tampere University in auditorium K103 of the Linna building (address: Kalevantie 5, Tampere) at 12.00 on Friday, 26 September 2025. The opponent will be Professor Rebecca Monk from Edge Hill University and Professor Atte Oksanen from the Faculty of Social Sciences at Tampere University will be the custos.