Finland wants to turn online poker into state monopoly
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Finland, which runs most of its gambling operations under government agencies, may attempt to add online poker to its roster.
Everything in Finland, from slots to horse racing, comes under the purview of the state, currently.
According to pokerpages.com:
Following a report in Finnish newspaper Keski-Uusimaa that Finns spend as much as 50 million euros annually on foreign online poker sites, Veikkaus, Finland’s national betting agency for lottery and sports betting, said they felt they could keep a significant portion of that money within Finland and use it towards public projects.
“We could gather the majority of the revenue flowing out,” said Ilkka Juva, communications manager for Veikkaus. “Certainly not all of it, but two thirds of 50 million euro could be attainable.” Nearby Sweden’s state-owned monopoly Svenska Spel could be used by Veikkaus as a business model, should the proposal move forward.
