Finland and the European Union regularly butt heads over the state monopoly on gambling. The EU requires free trade between member nations and sees the government monopoly as too restrictive to foreign operators.
Gambling services are provided by the state-owned company Veikkaus Oy. There has been a state monopoly on gambling in Finland for over 70 years. The gambling operations of Veikkaus Oy, RAY (the Finnish Slot Machine Association) and Fintoto were merged into one company on 1 January 2017.
Minors may not play gambling games and such games are not sold on credit. The Lotteries Act stipulates a minimum age of 18 for playing gambling games, in order to protect minors from the adverse effects of gambling. Players can also set restrictions for themselves. Veikkaus Oy and the authorities may also set restrictions on gambling. 온라인카지노
Regulatory Authorities and Important Laws
In Finland, gambling is regulated by the Lotteries Act. The purpose of the Lotteries Act is to ensure the legal protection of gamblers, to prevent misuse and crime, and to reduce the social and health-related harm resulting from gambling.
There are three state bodies which have been running all the gambling operations in Finland.
These are:
RAY: This body has been controlling all table games and slot machine gambling activities in Finland. RAY is the provider for brick-and-mortar/Land based gambling across the nation. It has the monopoly for land-based casinos, table games, slot machines, and traditional casino games such as roulette.
Veikkaus Oy: This body has been controlling all instant games, the national lottery and sports betting games in Finland. Veikkaus Oy is responsible for the national lottery, sports betting, and instant win games.
Fintoto Oy: Horse racing and associated gambling activities have been under the control of this body.