Finnish Poker Monopoly

In a recent trend Finland has joined a group of governments that are considering local monopolies ran by the states themselves in effort to plug up leaks caused by unregulated online gambling rooms. Countries such as Finland and the United States have yet to make any viable effort to tax the game, and are therefore as it would appear, sick of seeing the gambling proceeds walk across the virtual borders.

According to recent reports from both Helsingin Sanomat and YLE News Finland's Minister of Culture and Sport, Stefan Wallin is pulling for a state run online poker room. The state already offers two gambling monopolies in the state run Slot Machine Association (known as RAY) and the Veikkaus Oy, both owned wholly by the state and set to go with the possibility of online poker if Finland's government and Parliament should decide that's the way they want to go. RAY currently holds all rights to income derived from online slots and other online casino games.

"With the increase of online gambling, the number of problem players will just grow, while most of the profits flow to firms based in tax havens. A better solution would be to allow one of our national lawful operators, Veikkaus or RAY, to take the responsibility for Net poker", Wallin explained his pro-monopoly position on his blog.