Games Are All Right, But Advertising Is Not

In October 2010, gambling advertisement became regulated in a new way in Finland.
Before that Finnish and foreign companies could advertise for their games in the
old and new media. The gambling advertisement ban was part of the Lotteries Act
project, which purpose was to update the former Lotteries Act. The ban made the
foreign companies disappear from Finland and free games unavailable
to Finns.

Today the biggest Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat announced that Poker
magazine is no longer available at some kiosks. The magazine allows foreign
companies to advertise for their games. Poker is a glamorous magazine for those
who are interested in poker and desire to become better players. No wonder
that so many young students wish to write a study about poker, playing or
poker players. Poker stars are rich, famous, nice looking and experienced.
Who would not want to be like them?

And yet I was told at the EASG conference in Vienna that the global
poker boom was over. Finns are allowed to play online poker on foreign sites,
but these sites should not have any marketing strategy concerning potential Finnish
clients. The mentioned poker magazine is also online: despite the gambling
advertisement ban, it will continue in its digital form and paper copies will be sent
to the subscribers.

What will happen next? Different companies own kiosks. All these companies should
stop selling poker magazines if they include illegal advertisement. Otherwise we will
have another weird example of the gambling regulation. In some
kiosks it is possible to play on slot machines, which function with tokens. Underage
playing is allowed, because the tokens are not money and they are not
exchanged to coins. And of course, these peculiar slot machines are not for
gambling. I mean that if something is against the law, there should not be
halfway solutions or mixed signals of control.

Advertising is a funny thing. One does not have to be subscriber of a poker
magazine to be exposed to ads and enticing offers. My friend Jenni told the
director of a virtual casino that I would be interested in gambling online. I was
offered a big bonus (200%) at my first deposit. I decided to turn down the
offer, because I don't know this Jenni. But I kept the message, because
advertising is so easy by e-mail... even in Finnish! Perhaps the global
poker boom is over, because of the national gambling
policy decisions, but advertising will continue its course.

Is Gambling Really Our Civic Duty?

Someone called gambling a civic duty in the biggest Finnish newspaper.
It made me wonder how close the writer was to the truth. For many decades
Finns have gambled in order to do good and support the public health causes.
Despite the fact that Finland is a welfare society, its members have always
gambled happily.

A few weeks ago the same newspaper announced that the government needs
gambling revenues to decrease budget deficit. First, the government would
need 10 million Euros from the Slot Machine Association's annual revenues, but
much more in the future. This piece of news made me think of some interviews
I made in Paris a couple of years ago. When I asked about the distribution of
gambling revenues in France, I was told that each ministry would decide about
it. The idea of good causes was unfamiliar to French civil servants and professionals.

Gambling should not be seen as a civic duty. Finns pay all kind of taxes
and expect to get services in return. For example public schools are free, school meals
are free, every child is entitled to a place in the public daycare and
public health services have low fees. The welfare system is not perfect:
the population is aging and senior citizens need better care, children
and young people need more mental health services and there is too much
unemployment especially among youth. Gambling should not be another
kind of taxation.

Seeing gambling as a civic duty would mean that every Finn should play
lottery games, place a coin in gambling machines or bet on horse races -
whether they are rich or poor or addicted. The Finnish gambling operators
would create new ways to make the citizens respect their duty. Soon the
operators would enter in a ferocious competition with each other, because
they all should help to decrease the deficit.

Duty cannot be synonymous with fun. Because we have rights, we have
obligations and duties. The welfare system cannot depend on gambling
revenues, because gambling is a form of entertainment for those who wish
to practice it. Taking care of each other should be our civic duty and not
making money for unexplained causes.