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Gambling, much like most things that people enjoy, is a part of culture. In some countries around the world, one could say that this part of culture is more pronounced than elsewhere. Finland, a nation of 5.5 million people in Northern Europe, has long been one of the most gambling-friendly countries in the world. In fact, according to statistics, Finns are the 4th most active gamblers out there, trailing only behind Australians, Japanese, and Singaporeans.
Naturally, there used to be a time when gambling was not even a thing in Finland. In this article, we take a look at some of the biggest turning points and cultural shifts in Finnish gambling over the years.
1. The start of the Finnish state’s monopoly on gambling
Some sources say that even those in ancient China were active gamblers and were using games like Keno to fund the construction of the Great Wall of China. If this is indeed true, there is a good chance that gambling existed in Finland in some form or another even before it became mainstream. Even so, it was in the 1940s when the first slot machines arrived in Finland on boats hailing from Germany.
It was also during the 1940s that Finland first began its state-run monopoly on gambling. All of the proceeds from early slot machines and other forms of gambling would go to the government to use.
Interestingly, this monopoly would end up lasting around 80 years before the state officially announced that it would be moving to a more open market. Naturally, we will also go over this change later on in this very article.
2. The birth of Finnish lotto
One of the main reasons why Finland has become so open to all sorts of gambling is its citizens’ affinity for lottery games. In fact, Finns have loved the national Finnish “Lotto” since its very inception in 1970. Every week, close to a million Finns, which is 20% of the whole population, take part in the weekly draw. Wherever you go in Finland, you are bound to see tons of ads for lotto and what the current jackpot is.
Normally, selling the idea of state-run gambling can be tough. However, thanks to the success of the national lotto, many Finns consider gambling as a normal part of life rather than something dark or sinister.
3. The rise of online casinos
It is essentially the Finnish monopoly that made gambling both acceptable and popular in Finland. However, it is the tax free casinos at verovapaatnettikasinot.net/ that have made gambling even more mainstream. Nowadays, around half of all Finnish gambling goes toward international online casinos.
Online casinos first washed to the Finnish shore around the year 2000. In these times, technology was not as advanced, which meant people had to download the whole casino software on their computers to play. Because of this, it would take a few years before foreign online casinos really got off the ground.
4. The inclusion of pay n play
One of the most groundbreaking new ideas at online casinos was the adaptation of the so-called pay n play technology. With this new technology, Finnish people can access and register an account with their favorite online casinos by using their bank accounts. This revolutionary concept has made it easy for people using mobile devices to slip in and out without having to deal with a lot of on-screen typing.
What is more, pay n play casinos have also made cashing out winnings easier than ever before. At more traditional casinos, players have to prove their identity by sending the casino staff pictures of various documents, including their ID. However, with the inclusion of pay n play, players’ identities have already been automatically proven with the help of their bank accounts.
5. Upcoming Finnish license
Because of the rise of foreign online casinos due to pay n play and other innovations, the Finnish government has announced that it will be ending its ineffective monopoly on gambling. A new Finnish license is set to come into effect by the year 2027.
For now, not a lot is known about the particulars of the new Finnish license. However, this will eventually mark the end of over 80 years for the Finnish gambling monopoly.
Conclusion
As you can see, the Finnish gambling culture has gone over many shifts. It will be very interesting to see what comes next after the new system takes place and new innovations such as AI might get implemented more in the future.
