Research and statistics

RAY has commissioned interview studies in Germany, Great Britain, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland to examine the clientele of gaming machines and to measure public opinion on gaming machine operations in all the important gaming machine countries in the European Economic Area.

To measure the number of people who play the respondents were asked to say when they had last played. The social acceptability of gaming machine operations in general was measured with the question: "Do you think that the number of gaming machines in our country is suitable or should their number be changed?" Attitudes towards actual gaming machine operations in the country concerned were measured by asking the respondents' opinion on statements: "The gaming machine business is trustworthy" and "Gaming machines offer a fair payout".

The study was conducted in each country as an omnibus study with about 1000 interviewees. The time of each study and the research agency used were as follows: Germany 1996 and 2001 GfK Marktforschung ; Great Britain 1996 and 2001 RSGB ; Spain 1995 Emer GfK, 2000 and 2005 Alef Millward Brown ; Norway 1995, -97 and -99 Scanfact, 2004 Field Work Scandinavia AS ; Netherlads 1999 Intomart, 2004 Synovate ; Sweden 2002 GfK Sverige ; Denmark 2005 GfK Danmark: Finland 1994-2005 Taloustutkimus.

1. The results show that the monopoly model used in Finland has major advantages.
   One important advantage lies in the factor of popular support and acceptance. In a situation where the profits are channelled in full to charitable purposes, far larger numbers can accept the operation, trust in it, and therefore far larger numbers are involved in playing than in a situation where the profits are taxed and entered into the state budget and where private businesses reap the profits.
   
   
2. The enclosed figure also shows, that the clear majority, over 70%, of people in Finland are in favour of the current system where RAY has a full legal monopoly on gaming machine operation. Nowadays also gaming machine site owners are in favour of our system.
   
   
3. In addition there is a figure that shows, that in the monopoly system we have in Finland, over 70% of the gaming machine gross revenue can be used for public good. In countries relying on the tax model the share is half, even in the best of cases. As the comparative gross revenue of gaming machine operation in Finland is the second highest in Europe, though the number of machines is comparatively on average level, the sums collected from gaming machine operations for the public good in terms of per capita in Finland are superior in Europe.

RAY undertakes its own research and uses the services of external research institutions on a regular basis. The topics that are studied include RAY’s corporate image, customer satisfaction, the success of the slot machines and games among different target groups, the effects of gaming and funding assistance in society, as well as people’s attitudes to gaming and to RAY’s activities.

RESEARCH DATA:

• Desire to reduce the number of gaming machines in different European countries
• Credibility image of gaming machine operations in different European countries
• Percentage of population playing gaming machines in different European countries
• Support for RAY’s exclusive right