The Roulette As a Symbol of Western and Continental Way of Life in Finland in The

The roulette as a symbol of Western and continental way of life in Finland in the the 1960s and 1970s EASG Vienna 14-17 September, 2010 L : Session: Legal Issues 16 September, 2010 MA (Soc.Sci) Riitta Matilainen University of Helsinki Department of Political and Economic Studies [email protected] 1 Introduction Reith: “It has long been recognized that analysis of what may appear trivial or mundane can generate insights into fundamental aspects of social life”. The focus of the presentation is to regard a new legalized form of gambling (the roulette) and to it related discourses and practices as clues in an effort to analyze the changing consumer and leisure mentalities and cultures of Finns in the 1960s and the 1970s. 2 Theoretical background The ”new” school of cultural gambling studies: Gambling is an important part of almost every society’s social, cultural and economic life. Gambling per se is not considered pathological or criminal action. Gambling takes place in time and in a certain context. Gamblers make a consumer decision, and their choices must be treated as rational rather than irrational decisions. Gender, class, age and dwelling place need to be taken into consideration with the help of e.g. ethnographical studies. 3 Finnish consumer society in the 1960s and 1970s I The 1950s and 1960s were a period of rapid structural changes and great internal and external migration. Finland followed closely the examples of welfare societies set by other Nordic countries and especially Sweden despite the that the influence of Soviet Union was very tangible in almost all aspects of political, cultural and economic life. Thus the self-image of Finns was being constantly negotiated between Western, Eastern and Nordic values, influences and images. 4 Finnish consumer society in the 1960s and 1970s II For Finns in the 1970s luxury consisted of such conveniences and amenities as good food and drink, the swimming pool, free erotica and fast (Western) cars. Passenger ships to Germany, Sweden and Estonia were popular. In the 1960s the need for restaurants to have a more liberated atmosphere, a less strict stress codes and a more liberal attitudes towards female clients was eminent. It was now allowed to establish restaurants in the countryside. Most importantly, there was now more variety to restaurants and they could be accessed by all customer groups. These changes in the restaurant scene were vital for the game of roulette to become rooted in Finland. 5 Cultural history of roulette before its legalisation in Finland I There were no legal casinos or roulettes in Finland in the 19th century. However, it is likely that there were roulettes in action in secret gambling dens and brothels already in the 19th century. After the WW II there were several legal alternatives for Finns to gamble, but the first and so far the only casino was established in Helsinki as late as 1991. This meant that some gamblers chose to gamble in illegal gambling dens all around the country. 6 Cultural history of roulette before its legalisation in Finland II In sum, before the 1960s the game of roulette was known to many Finns through literature and perhaps through some films but rather few Finns had ever played it. The image of the game was posh; it was thought to be game were fortunes could be lost overnight. The roulette did not fit the image of “tamed” Finnish gambling under the patronage of the state through the monopoly holders Veikkaus and Finland’s Slot Machine Association (RAY). 7 Organizing the roulette table I The public justification RAY gave for its interest in casino games was the need to increase Finland’s attractiveness to foreign tourists as a holiday destination. In 1963 passenger ships travelling from Finland to Sweden had introduced slot machines onboard. Use of slot machines was only possible on international waters. The autonomous Aland Islands was the first region where roulettes became legal already in 1964. The shipping company Stena’s passenger ship travelling from Stockholm to Turku offered a casino onboard in 1965. The passengers could play roulette and try their luck on the new continental craze the bingo. 8 Organizing the roulette table II RAY decided to test roulettes by placing the first roulettes onboard passenger ships travelling from Helsinki to Luebeck in West-Germany in March 1967. Passenger ships have ever since been used as “gambling laboratories”. RAY: roulette is not gambling, just a moment of fun and excitement for gamers. RAY decided to continue the trial period with roulettes by placing roulettes in high-class restaurants and night clubs also in the mainland Finland. The low monetary risks involved in the Finnish roulette were to assure that roulette had a purely entertaining character and could not be seen as gambling. The first roulette in mainland Finland was started in restaurant Adlon in Helsinki in February 1969. In the 1970s and 1980s roulettes became a natural part of Finnish restaurant scene and culture. 9 Experiencing the roulette table I At first roulettes were only located in high-class restaurants and night clubs. During the 1970s and especially in the 1980s roulettes were placed in more diverse bars and restaurants. “I remember clearly the gambling room in Lido. There was a soft wall-to-wall carpet, thick and dark red velvet curtains, next to the gambling table a pink plush sofa and next to the roulette table on the wall a large fanciful oil painting of a naked beauty. The lighting created a very sensual and refined atmosphere in the room. In the 1970s the roulettes were placed in “fine” places that were open until 4 o’clock in the morning…” Posh roulette rooms tried to play with people’s images of luxurious casinos in Monte Carlo and elsewhere in the Continental Europe. The décor reminded Finns of the upper-class origins of roulette. 10 Experiencing the roulette table II The newspapers were generally thrilled about the introduction of roulettes in their own regions. It was thought that roulettes could increase the international attractiveness of Finnish cities and towns and that Finland would finally open up and take in a more Western European attitude towards leisure, fun making and gambling. The first Finnish croupiers were women. Women’s presence as croupiers was thought to soften prejudices against the game of roulette which some might still consider an extra vicious form of gambling. Women were used as croupiers also to increase to allure of the game and to entice men into the roulette tables. 11 Conclusions I Both RAY and Veikkaus have been quite successful in taming Finnish gambling and turning it into a respectful part of a normal Finnish life. Same thing happened also with the roulette. Due to cultural images of luxurious casinos in Monte Carlo and continental Europe and of roulette being an upper-class game played by the Russian aristocrats in the days gone by, the game had to be partially democratized without losing the exciting elements of luxury and exclusiveness. One part of the democratization was the low cost of playing. The change in the restaurant scene was vital for the roulette to root into the Finnish gambling culture and consumer culture. Even women were allowed around the roulette tables, both as croupiers and as customers. The roulettes could offer excitement and a feeling of “the big world” in a safe manner. 12 Conclusions II In a situation where the influence of the Eastern block and especially the Soviet Union was felt in almost every aspect of life, taking part in the game of roulette was one way to assure that Finland and Finns were part of the Western world and could enjoy the pleasures offered by increasing consumption. The roulette became a significant symbol of an imagined Western European way of life that many Finns wanted to lead. It can be said that Finns were imitating the image of Western ways of life when participating in the roulette. 13 THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION! [email protected] 14.

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