Encroaching Online Casino Regulations
The Finnish government is out for some new blood this month with the
announcement that the government’s plans to reform the Finnish Lotteries Act
will have a pretty major effect on gambling regulations in the semi-autonomous
region of Åland. The Finnish government has caught a lot of flack from the
European Commission over its land and online casino gambling policies and this
issue seems as though it will only worsen if the planned reforms take place. For
Åland, the new reforms will be specifically aimed at resolving jurisdictional
confrontations that have arisen between Åland’s licensed land casino gaming
operator and the Finnish authorities.
The Scandinavian region is fast becoming well-known for its land and online
casino gambling monopolies – the Åland licensing and regulations fall right into
this same pattern of gambling monopoly activity…a pattern that the European
Commission is fighting against. Because Åland has an autonomous government there
have been conflicts with the Finnish government on Åland’s gaming operator, PAF
– additionally, Åland is considering opening itself up as a licensing
jurisdiction for additional land and online casino operators.
All of this activity out of Åland tough is definitely causing some tensions with
the Finnish government – land and online casino gambling activity is strictly
illegal in the country and Åland’s activities are allowing Finnish gamblers to
more easily break the law. Åland and Finland are currently going head-to-head in
debate over the online casino gambling issue – something that is likely to last
for some time while the two governments seek out some sort of compromise…as task
that is difficult in light of the general Scandinavian dislike for legalized and
licensed gambling activities – Sweden, Denmark, and Finland all support
state-run monopolies at this point. |