Gambling law in Finland
Casinos in Finland
Although the history of gambling in Finland is long, we will not find many casinos here. Currently, there is only one legal casino in Finland located in the capital of the country. Finnish players prefer online gambling more.
History of casinos in Finland
The origins of gambling in Finland date back to the 17th century when lotteries were very popular under the Kingdom of Sweden. Their popularity drastically decreased under the rule of Russia in the nineteenth century. In 1899, the Penal Code in force forbade gambling by considering it illegal. After Finland regained its independence in 1917, this ban was lifted. The first gaming machines came here from Germany in 1920. The Finland’s Slot Machine Association (RAY) has the exclusive right to operate gaming machines, table games and casinos in Finland today. The first independent casino in Finland was founded in Helsinki in 1991.
Legal regulations
The basic document regulating gambling in Finland is Lottery Act (491/65), which came into force on January 1, 1966. According to the regulations in force, casinos, bingo machines and other games where you can win money are classified as a lottery. Amendments were also introduced to the applicable law. In 2012, many changes were made, including the construction of a second casino in Vaalimaa near the border with Russia was allowed. The gambling is controlled and supervised by the Ministry of the Interior and the Gambling Administration Unit at the National Police Board. According to the law in force, people over 18 years of age have access to the casino. The gambling market, both on the ground and online casinos, is monopolized by the government and divided between the three authorities: Ray is responsible for land-based casinos, slot machines and table games, Veikkaus controls the lotteries and bets, while Fintoto deals with horse racing.
Where, when and what to play at casinos in Finland?
Currently, there is one casino in Finland. It is located in the capital of the country or in Helsinki. It is open every day from 12 to 4 in the morning. The offer includes roulette, poker, blackjack, baccarat, punto banco, gaming machines and electronic roulette.
Internet casinos in Finland
Online gambling is legal in Finland since 1996. In Finladnia, all gambling services are the monopoly of three entities Ray, Veikkaus and Fintoto as well as PAF, which has a license to run a website with a casino, poker, sports betting and bingo. PAF comes from the Åland Islands, a Swedish-speaking territory belonging to Finland. For this reason, he can offer his services in Finland. In addition, Finland does not allow other operators to operate on the Finnish market. Finnish players, however, use the websites of foreign casinos, which are in Finnish and English and bets are accepted in Euros and US dollars.
Legal regulations
The origins of online gambling in Finland date back to 1996 when National Lottery of Finland Oy Veikkaus received a license to provide its services on the Internet. According to the law in force, the online gambling market is monopolized and subject to three operators. The player must register before playing the online casino. The registration should include such data as name and surname, PESEL number, age, place of residence. The player must be over 18, have a Finnish bank account, Finnish insurance number and have a permanent address in Finland.
CURIOSITIES
Sweden’s victory in the Helsinki poker tournament
Swedish poker player Ramzi Jelassi in 2010 won the tournament “Helsinki Midnight Sun” at the Casino Helsinki. The player defeated 139 players and won 116 000 €.
