Finland to Ban Online Poker Using Payback Amendment?

The ability of Finnish online poker players to continue playing their favorite pastime may become seriously affected if Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health's plans move forward to introduce an amendment to Finland's online gambling laws to enable Internet gamblers to claim back their losses by being paid by either the firm providing the online poker services, a credit card company, or the winning player in the game.

The Ministry feels that if such a law were enacted, foreign operators of Internet poker sites would likely prevent Finnish players from taking part in the game, effectively banning Finnish players, since a player protected by such a law would be too great a risk to the game organizer.

A University of Joensuu report made public 17 January by Helsingin Sanomat, the biggest daily subscription-based newspaper in Scandinavia, and Finland's leading national paper, revealed the idea for the amendment.

The Ministry commissioned the University to look into ways of protecting gambling addicts and children from the dangers of online gambling.

The idea of a payback scheme was conceived by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health civil servants together with the compiler of the report, the University of Joensuu professor of Law and Economics Kalle Maatta. According to Maatta, such a law does not yet exist anywhere in the world.

The idea of the law is not to force citizens to stop gambling online, but merely to provide them with the opportunity to claim back their losses that they incurred while, for example, they played online poker when drunk.

ONLINE POKER NOT CONTROLLED BY FINNISH GOV'T

Finland's Gambling market is divided between three governing bodies, including: Veikkaus Oy (The Finnish National Lottery -Finland's national betting agency for lottery and sports betting, managed by the Finnish Ministry of Education), RAY (The Slot Machine Association who operates and oversees casino games, slot machines and table games), or Fintoto Oy (runs pari-mutuel wagering on horses and online games).

Though gambling in Finland is organized as a national monopoly, it is worth noting that online poker games are not managed by Finnish government agencies.

Industry observers postulate that shutting down online poker would not help gambling addicts, but merely drive gamblers to state-managed activities, which could be the underlying purpose of the law.

HOLES IN THE IDEA

The University report does not specify exactly how such legislation could be enforced. The Ministry is aware, for example, of the technical difficulties such a law would involve, and is therefore waiting to hear comments on the idea. The Ministry suspects that if the law is effective, in time other countries might draw up similar laws.

According to the social authorities, an online poker operation is based on the same kind of pyramid system used in network sales businesses, where gambling addicts on the lowest levels of the pyramid pay the winners at the top of the pyramid. "If the damage caused to those at the bottom of the pyramid far exceed the benefits reaped by random players, something needs to be done", Kalle Maatta says.

Finns are quite eager players at online poker-tables. Around EUR 150 million a year (about USD $220 million, or GBP 110 million) is thought to be taken by online poker firms from Finns alone.

Measured against head of population, the Finns are fourth in the world tables of spending on gambling. The newspaper says that around 40,000 Finns have problems arising out of a gambling habit, which is as many as in The Netherlands, a country with three times the population.

More Poker News Articles

Local Businessman Bags European Poker Tour Vilamoura Bling
12am Sun Nov 22nd, 2009

The European Poker Tour rolled into the Casino Vilamoura last week, instantly generating the richest poker prize pool in the nation of Portugal's history.

Keikoan Captures Harvey's Lake Tahoe WSOPC Championship
12am Thu Nov 19th, 2009

This week marked the finale of the biggest annual tournament series in Northern Nevada, the WSOP Circuit championship at Harvey's Lake Tahoe. While the Main Event saw only a modest turnout, it did boast of a tough final table, and a WSOP bracelet owner as the eventual champion.

WSOP Main Event Champ Joe Cada to Appear on Letterman
12am Wed Nov 18th, 2009

The poker world will receive some late night attention tonight as "The Kid" Joe Cada, the youngest champion in the four decade history of the World Series of Poker Main Event, takes a seat next to embattled talk show host David Letterman.

First Korean Champ of Asia Pacific Poker Tour Crowned in Cebu
12am Tue Nov 17th, 2009

Another stop on the Asia Pacific Poker Tour is in the books, this time it's the APPT Cebu in the Philippines, and for the very first time a Korean player has come out on top.

Pollack Done as Commish of World Series of Poker
12am Sat Nov 14th, 2009

Just three days after crowning Joe Cada as the 2009 Main Event champion, officially closing the special 40th anniversary run of the World Series of Poker, Jeffrey Pollack has resigned his post as Commissioner of the WSOP.

Durrrr Signs as Team Full Tilt's Youngest Member
12am Wed Nov 11th, 2009

Tom "durrrr" Dwan is the newest member of Team Full Tilt, the online site's highest level of affiliation. At 23, Dwan is the youngest of the now 14-person team. The high stakes cash phenomenon was nominated for induction this year into the Poker Hall of Fame until the Hall of Fame Governing Council decided he was too young to meet the "has stood the test of time" qualification.

Joe Cada Becomes Youngest World Series of Poker Main Event Champ
12am Tue Nov 10th, 2009

History was made early Tuesday morning in Las Vegas as 21-year-old Joe Cada outlasted Darvin Moon in heads-up play to claim the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event bracelet and more than $8.5 million.

Moon and Cada Heads-Up, Ivey 7th at WSOP Main Event Final Table
12am Sun Nov 8th, 2009

After a marathon session at the most esteemed table in the poker world, a 21-year-old and a logger are set to go one-on-one for the World Series of Poker Main Event bracelet.

PokerStars Launches New UK and Ireland Poker Tour
12am Wed Nov 4th, 2009

PokerStars.com has announced the start of a new poker tour with stops throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. The UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) will kick off in Galway, Ireland in mid-December, and the first event in the UK will be held in Manchester in February.

Peerless Media Agrees to Purchase World Poker Tour Enterprises
12am Mon Nov 2nd, 2009

According to a Monday press release, WPT Enterprises Inc., mothership of the World Poker Tour, is now the rightful property of Peerless Media, Ltd., subsidiary of online giant PartyGaming.