Talk About Sore Losers

The Finns are known for their online gambling. Only 40,000 people in this small country are regular gamblers, but they make for 150 millions euros in business a year. That is one of the highest per capita in Europe.

It has alarmed some policymakers who are concerned about underage or problem gambling. Some of their ideas are familiar to whoever follows legal developments in the industry. Others are entirely radical.

An official commission formed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in Finland has proposed several ways to prohibit those 18 years of age or younger from gambling in any form. This includes such technological solutions as identification devices. Currently, 15 year olds buying lottery tickets is common in the Scandinavian country.

Another idea, this one from Joensuu University law professor Kalle Määttä, also on the commission, wants the losers in online gambling games to get their money back!

The logic? If it's illegal then it should be cancelled.

And who exactly will pay the loser the money lost? The website operator, the credit card company, or even the player who won.

Justice? I think not. It seems more like the Finnish government is trying to make online gambling such a pain (pardon my French) that companies, payment suppliers and gamblers themselves will not want to mess with Finnish players any more.

The government seems convinced that online gambling is a sort of pyramid scheme in which those on the bottom lose to those higher up. That is obviously false, as poker is based on skills and casinos on luck, never on a scheme of any sort.

Still looking into how practical it is to implement, the Finnish government has not decided what its course of action will be. That gives them the chance to climb off this idea, even if it should be complimented as original.