Finns Want State To Keep Gambling Monopoly – CardPlayer.com

A new study shows that nearly 70 percent of people in Finland want the government to keep its monopoly on gambling, according to an Yle-commissioned poll.

Citizens still prefer the state having control over gambling, despite arguments made in recent years against that setup. The size of the gambling market in Finland is more than 2.5 billion, which includes lotteries and casino games, both live and online.

Gambling is big in the country, as it ranks within the top 10 gambling nations in the world.

The country has produced some of the most feared high-stakes players over the years, including all-time online poker money earner Patrik Antonius, online greats Sami Kelopuro, Jens Kyllnen and Ilari Sahamies, as well as tournament star Juha Helppi.

Online gaming is becoming big business there. According to Gaming Zion, the average Finn spends 14 per week gambling. According to recent studies, as many as 80 percent of adult Finns gamble at least once a year.

At the height of the poker boom, there were an estimated 125,000 online poker players in Finland. Online poker first became regulated in the country in 2010.

In 2017 the best Finnish online casinos are set to have a banner year. Same goes for other games available on mobile.

The Finnish company Next Games in March became the first Finnish gaming company to go public, according to a report from Reuters. Next Games is behind The Walking Dead mobile game. Additionally, the Finnish games-maker Rovio Entertainment is behind the hit Angry Birds.

See the article here:

Finns Want State To Keep Gambling Monopoly - CardPlayer.com