Finland PAF Announces New Online Poker Offer

State gambling monopoly Alands Penningautomatforening (PAF), which under Finnish gambling laws has the right to run all gambling activities in the autonomous Aland region, has announced the release of a new addition to its online portfolio.

According to the announcement PAF has teamed up with well-known software developer Microgaming to launch a new type of online poker for the domestic players.

While it has been legal for several years to play online poker in Finland, regional monopoly PAF and national monopoly RAY are the only companies allowed to operate poker rooms. This means that aspiring players may have a difficulty in finding opponents to match their skill levels.

According to PAF, the new offer is completely beginner-friendly, using ‘helpful instruction videos and full-service guidance’ to assist the players.

“Beginners should be able to learn to play poker at their own pace and on a suitable level together with their poker peers,” promises PAF Head of Poker, Herbert Paradis.

In order to ensure that player liquidity does not become an issue either, the corporation also reached an agreement with Ongame Network Limited and Boss Media, the Swedish operator of the International Poker Network.

Also speaking on behalf of PAF, Director Anders Wiklund told Finnish gambling news that the company “wants to offer something new and unique, something that is non-exclusive in that it suits all players. We believe that this is where the growth potential is.”

“We want PAF poker to be a friendly place for hanging out and having fun with friends. Although there is still work to be done, this is definitely a big step in the right direction,” added Wiklund.