Between offshore competition and a duopoly: Gambling provision on and from the Finnish Åland Islands

Abstract

This paper explores the legal and social status of the Åland-based gambling company Paf. Gambling and the gambling industry have increasingly moved online. Online provision has had implications for policy particularly due to increased competition in domestic markets from offshore gambling. In offshore gambling, unlicensed operators do not follow predetermined legal rules. Yet, there has been little research addressing the definition of offshore provision. Paf is an excellent example of a company that operates several roles: it is a monopoly on Åland, a licensed operator in some European jurisdictions, and an offshore operator in Mainland Finland. This paper uses key informant interviews (N=5) and legislative texts to study the social and legal implications of Paf's offshore operation. The findings show that offshore provision is heterogeneous and legally complex. A company such as Paf can at the same time operate within the legal framework and provide offshore gambling. This possibility has made Paf very profitable for and socially accepted on the Åland Islands.