Finland delays online casino launch


Last minute betting limits hold launch until October
 
Finland’s planned monopolistic online casino  has missed its opening deadline of end August and will not now launch until October, says the operator, the Finnish Slot Machine Association (RAY).
 
The delay has been attributed to last minute demands by state officials, who are demanding new limits on how much players will be permitted to bet. While you wait, if your from Finland try out PartyCasino with $500 free.
 
Kari Hyttinen, head of RAY gaming operations, talked about the delay in an interview on the YLE-X radio network on Monday, confirming that the new launch target date was October.
 
 “The most difficult [new state demands] to implement are the various limitations placed on different categories of games,” Hyytinen said, revealing that online slot machines and various table games such as roulette and blackjack are to have a limit of Euro 500 a day per player.
 
The limits will not apply to games in which players play each other, unless the players set the limits themselves, he added.
 
Raha-Automaattiyhdistys (RAY), has taken on board the Playscan responsible gambling tool developed by Svenska Spel in 2006 in partnership with ICU Intelligence and the Swedish Gaming Institute (see previous InfoPowa report).
 
The tool provides a player safety net by increasing awareness, at the same time giving operators a channel to communicate directly with their gamblers. The tool monitors the player’s gaming habits and flags any sudden increases in wagering activity.