The current state monopoly system would not function without regulatory changes, according to a report commissioned by the Interior Ministry that looks at the future of online gambling and recommends a switch to a licensing system.

According to a report commissioned by the Interior Ministry, some €500–550 million of tax revenue a year is lost since around half of online gamblers uses games outside the state monopoly system. Also, problems such as gaming addiction are more difficult to tackle in this context.

In trying to map out alternative models for the gambling system to support political decision-making and the next government, the report examined the national gambling systems of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and France. Of these, Norway has a gambling monopoly system similar to Finland, while the others use a licensing system for online gambling.

To achieve a higher ”channelling rate” in online gambling, the report laid out two options; introducing new restrictions to prevent gambling outside the monopoly or switching to a licensing system. Arguments from other countries spoke on behalf of the latter alternative since the licence system has been more effective in improving the channelling rate.

Currently, a state-owned company, Veikkaus, operates all the gambling games offered in Finland. The company’s revenue is used to benefit Finnish society and is distributed by different ministries. If a licensing system is introduced, one option could be creating a sister company owned by Veikkaus or directly by the state, the report added.

(Pekka Vänttinen | EURACTIV.com)