Home	Tutorial	Online Casino Reviews	Best Online Casinos	Casino Software	Casino News

Online Casino Gambling --- Casino News

The Swedes a Role Model for Finns

One minute the Finnish government is anti foreign online casinos and poker gambling sites, and the next minute some in the government are supporting an initiative that would back a state run Finnish gambling monopoly. Many outside industry analysts look at the recent government discussions as a positive for the country because it currently lacks online casinos gambling regulations. The country’s Culture and Sports Minister, Stefan Wallin, is proposing a state run gambling monopoly that runs in a format similar to the Swedish gambling monopoly, Svenska Spel.

State run gambling monopolies can actually be very effective in regulating online casinos gambling and poker activities because all gamblers have to go through one company rather than players having access to offshore gambling companies that have less concerns for underage and problem gamblers. Considering that the online casinos industry is currently unregulated (and therefore most likely allowing underage gambling at some level), the Finnish government could use revenue from a state gambling monopoly to fund social programs for Finns.

Many see approval of a state online casinos poker industry a way to embrace the fact that Finns are going to gamble online no matter what restrictions are in place, so it is easier to embrace the growing trend. Wallin remarks of the industry, "It is difficult to halt the rise in the popularity of online poker. It would be better to offer players a legal and responsible alternative." Wallin then goes on to comment on the fact that a government run monopoly, modeled after Svenska Spel could effectively eliminate underage gambling. He notes, "Responsibility would mean setting an 18 age limit and requiring players to identify themselves."