Finnish Parliament Ponders Gambling Reform

• Lawmaker questions payment blocking plans
• Growing calls to introduce a licensing system 
• Still political support for Veikkaus monopoly

Finnish lawmakers are concerned about plans to introduce gambling payment blocking measures instead of a licensing system, as debates on the industry’s future intensify.

“On paper, reform can sound pretty good. Unfortunately, the solution is not very workable,” wrote Finnish member of parliament Saara-Sofia Sirén in a blog post.

Sirén made a comparison with revenues for foreign gambling operators in Norway, where there is also a monopoly and payment blocking measures, which she said increased from around €140m to around €360m between 2010 and 2020.