For decades, Finns had their Saturday ritual. They would have a sauna, then watch the lottery draws on tv. They would never feel bad about losing, because they knew that the gaming proceeds would be channelled to good causes. Things have changed a bit, but gambling, like voting, is still widely considered a civic duty. Nowadays, around a third of adults gamble every week. A survey in 2016 found that 83% had gambled at least once in the past year. The lottery was legalised as long ago as the 1920s to discourage Finns from playing Swedish lotteries, and from sending money to their former rulers. After the second world war, football pools were seen as a way to foster a sense of unity and thwart the threat of communism.
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