Aland Islands jurisdictions

Aland Islands, the autonomous region of Finland, has one thing in common with the mainland- a monopoly operator owned by the regional government. Established in 1966, the company naked PAF was founded for fundraising in this area, and had its very first online game rolled out in 1999.

Despite the fact that, at the moment of writing this article, PAF is the only venue operating under this license, it doesn’t mean that standards are low or flexible. Quite the contrary, this service provider has very comprehensive measures for player protection and is constantly working on enhancing them.

As for the selection of genres found in the provider’s catalog, there are plenty of games to choose from, including some exclusive content. Some of the strategic partners include top-notch studios such as Playtech, NetEnt, Microgaming, Yggdrasil Gaming, Thunderkick, and more.

Is There a Licensing Body?

Aland Islands is an autonomous and demilitarised region of Finland since 1920, with Swedish being the only official language. Interestingly, it is part of the EU as well but has some important exceptions. One of the coolest facts about the Islands is that there are over 20,000 islands, but only 60 of them are inhabited.

While it has its own parliament, flag, stamps, and license plates and it can pass its own laws in regards to health care, education, industry, and transport, still it has to follow Finnish law for some sectors. Those are foreign affairs, criminal law, and customs.

Having in mind that it is an autonomous region of Finland, the best is to compare it with this country. Finland has Veikkaus, a government-owned betting agency that holds a monopoly in the mainland, Aland Islands have Penningautomatförening or PAF for short.

When it comes to detecting and preventing money laundering and terrorist financing, the rules are defined in the AML Act. This document applies both to Veikkaus and PAF.

As for the licensing, one certificate encompasses all types of products available in PAF: slots, games of skill, casino games, lottery, bingo, betting on sports, poker, and charity-related activities. It’s important to stress out that lotteries fall under the Lotteries Act (10/1966).

Introducing the Government-Owned Gambling Operator

Founded by a couple of non-profit organizations PAF joined the scene a long time ago. In the early 1970s, the company started to operate aboard car ferries registered on Aland, while the first interactive content was launched in 1999. 

Confirming the operator’s high level of commitment in maintaining the industry safe are multiple acknowledgments. In 204, the company was named the most socially responsible gaming company in the eGaming Review Operator Awards. Three years later, in 2017, it received the same award. PAF organizes a biennial Responsible Gaming Summit.

The company’s goal is straightforward- to generate and distribute a financial surplus for the benefit of society through gaming. Those funds are aimed at disabled people, pensioners, children, young people, culture, sports, the environment, and public health.

Leader in Responsible Gambling

Exploring the betting venues and the available tools for managing behavior in a more responsible manner, you will probably encounter a loss limit as one of the options. That’s what PAF pioneered, and numerous operators all over the world accepted it as one more measure to keep responsibility at the highest level.

In addition to this, punters can set deposit limits or activate gaming freeze, which allows them to take shorter breaks from one or multiple genres. If they want to make longer breaks, self-exclusion is an option.

Furthermore, there are gaming reminders, which represent some sort of responsible gaming message. When a consumer activates this option, notifications are received during play. The list doesn’t end here, as there are two more tools-gaming summary and time tracking. Punters can have a complete insight into how much they have won and lost, and how much time they spend on the website.

Worth adding is that all players registered in PAF are automatically covered by the mandatory yearly loss limit. Also, the operator provides insurance to punters who fulfill the criteria, allowing a relative to participate in the therapy with the affected client.

Moreover, there’s a test to learn more about your own gambling habits, and links to a couple of organizations specialized in providing support. Finally, the operator adjusts its digital communication and marketing based on each consumer’s specific behavior. No client will receive direct marketing or be in any way invited to participate in gaming activities.

Having all these in mind, we can freely say that player protection is at the highest possible level. The operator has invested so much effort into creating an utterly entertaining yet extremely safe environment for all visitors.

Coolest Tips to Find the Best Online Bingo Rooms

Compared to other markets, the list of operators running a business under this license is a bit modest. Yet, it doesn’t mean that there’s no potential for further growth. With such precise regulations and a particularly strong player protection segment, it stands shoulder to shoulder with jurisdictions with a large number of licensees- the United Kingdom, Malta, Alderney, Gibraltar, and Sweden.

When selecting an online casino, the license is just one of the segments to take into account. While players can be at ease when accessing this particular operator, there are a couple of more details to analyze in order to find a betting room that suits you the best.

These are the most significant details to pay attention to when approaching a betting facility:

• Terms and Conditions
• Payment policy, processing time, and availability of banking options
• Game categories and software providers
• Channels for communication with customer support department
• Bonuses and promotions

Once you explore every segment, you will be able to evaluate which parlor suits you the best. Those may be the tiniest details, but significant ones that make a great difference. So, investing 10-15 minutes into the investigation is a smart thing to do when approaching a new online betting venue, and the only way to end up with something that fits your demands.

Gamble responsibly!