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Finns flock to work in Online Casinos in Malta
It is quite well known that Malta is one of the most sought-after-places for online gambling. The reasons are not exactly rocket science. Friendly government regulations and favourable tax regimes are what attract gaming companies to this tiny island.
What is less known though is the number of Finnish citizens working in the gaming companies in Malta? Apart from Finland, other European countries such as Sweden, Portugal, Slovenia and the Czech Republic do not allow any commercial online gambling operators and the government hold monopoly on the lottery and actual and virtual casinos. Some of the European countries, UK, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovakia, and Estonia, have a fully or partly deregulated online gambling market.
Malta has over 300 companies in the gaming sector, employing around 12,000 people. Among those who have moved there are at least 400 Finns. Malta has thus been called “The Silicon Valley of Casinos.”
While only Veikkaus, PAF (Åland equivalent of Veikkaus) and Finntoto are allowed to offer online and offline gambling to the Finnish population, there are up to 100 international sites offering Finnish language gambling sites. Veikkaus and Paf also operate actual casinos and plenty of slot machines in Finland.
Finland’s slot machines for gambling situated in public places are exceptional for Western countries. As the cashier at a till hands over a coin as change, many Finns advance to the slot machine by the entrance in a routine-like manner to try their luck. In other Western countries, such a habit is very unordinary.
“In other countries gambling machines are usually situated in casinos, restaurants, and bars, whereas in Finland they are a part of people’s everyday life in shops, kiosks and petrol stations,” says development coordinator Tapio Jaakkola from Gambling Clinic (Peliklinikka), specialised in gambling addictions.
A valid argument offered by the government in regulated countries is preventing gambling addiction and the resulting financial crisis to individuals by limiting the amount people can gamble and on the other hand recycling the profits to the society for good causes. Veikkaus and PAF return the majority of their profit to culture, sports, research and other social causes. The third argument is the reliability of the gambling operator. Government-owned companies do not cheat.
Same could not be said about commercial online gambling sites and because of the vastly unregulated international market and difficulty of control, there is no guarantee that sites could be reliable. Several services such as Kantacasino.com have tried to solve this problem by star ranking and auditing online gaming sites based on reliability, the number of games available, offered bonuses, and user-friendliness of sites.
According to the Ministry of health of Finland, 2.7 per cent of Finns in the age group of 15–74 suffer from gambling problems at different levels. That is 110,000 Finns. Gambling problems are three times more common among men than women (men 4.7 per cent, women 1.6 per cent). The change of the age limit (K-18) in 2011 has significantly reduced gambling within the group of young males. Gambling among girls was rarer already before the amendment. There are several different sites offering help and information for people with gambling problems, such as Pluuri, Gametalk and Peli poikki.
Source: helsinkitimes.fi
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network

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The winners of the Casino Guru Awards 2025 announced: A night of celebration, integrity, and inspiration
The Casino Guru Awards 2025 concluded in spectacular fashion last night, as nearly 150 distinguished guests gathered at the stunning Portomaso Suite, Hilton Hotel, to honor the changemakers shaping a safer and fairer future for online gambling.
From laughter echoing through the elegant venue to heartfelt applause for industry trailblazers, the atmosphere was vibrant and full of purpose. The night wasn’t just a gala, it was a statement. In her opening speech, Daniela Sliva, PR & Creative Projects Director at Casino Guru, set the tone: “The Casino Guru Awards are more than just trophies and titles. They’re a celebration of the people and companies who are truly moving the industry forward. The ones who choose to be responsible, innovative, and proactive in how they do business.”
Hosted by Martin Sepiano, the evening honored the winners in 10 categories, all evaluated through a radically transparent and values-driven process. And the winners are:
- iGaming Changemaker of the Year: Ebbe Groes, CEO, EveryMatrix
- Most Effective Handling of Complaints: Vulkan Vegas
- Most Transparent Casino: OnlyWin Casino
- Most Impactful Social Responsibility Initiative: Mindway AI
- Fairest General Terms & Conditions: OnlyWin Casino
- Fairest Bonus Policy: Wazbee Casino
- Best Implementation of RG Tools (Operators): L&L Europe
- Best Implementation of RG Tools (Providers): Mindway AI
- Voice of the People – Public Vote: iWild Casino
- Players’ Choice Casino – Public Vote: Pragmatic Play
Following the awards, the celebration continued at the glamorous Tiffany Lounge, where guests enjoyed cocktails, conversation, and music by DJ Luke Panza until late into the night.
The Awards stand apart for their credibility, with judges required to declare conflicts of interest, direct interviews with shortlisted nominees, and clear evaluation criteria. This year’s edition saw over 150,000 public votes in the “Voice of the People” category, reinforcing the Awards’ commitment to transparency and community-driven recognition.
“This night isn’t just about recognition, it’s about building momentum for lasting change,” added Sliva. “Seeing this room filled with leaders who care about integrity and fairness makes me hopeful for what’s next.”
With a powerful lineup of finalists, the Casino Guru Awards 2025 Gala reaffirmed that ethical innovation in iGaming isn’t just an ideal, it’s becoming a reality.
The post The winners of the Casino Guru Awards 2025 announced: A night of celebration, integrity, and inspiration appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Esports Charts and FURIA Extend Partnership, Expanding Coverage to the Kings League
Esports Charts, the leading esports viewership analytics provider, today announced the extension of its long-standing partnership with FURIA, one of Brazil’s most prominent esports organizations.
The renewed agreement will see Esports Charts providing comprehensive audience insights and data to FURIA through 2027, with a significant expansion into the world of media football.
The partnership between FURIA and Esports Charts, which began in 2021, now also covers FURIA’s participation in the Kings League—a groundbreaking media league that brings together well-known personalities and offers a unique take on minifootball. Esports Charts will provide FURIA with detailed analytics for key Kings League tournaments, including the Kings World Cup and Kings League Brazil events.
“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with FURIA and expand our coverage into the exciting world of media football. FURIA has been a valued partner since 2021, and we are excited to support their continued growth and success in both esports and new ventures like the Kings League.” said Artyom Odintsov, co-founder and CEO at Esports Charts
FURIA’s involvement in the Kings League is spearheaded by co-founder Cristian Guedes and global football superstar Neymar Jr, who serve as Presidents of Furia FC. This unique blend of esports and traditional sports is attracting a massive audience and opening new opportunities specifically for organizations like FURIA and their sponsors. While the Kings League itself is not an esports competition, it creates fresh exposure and value for esports organizations in a new area.
“Renewing our partnership with Esports Charts is strategic for FURIA. Having access to reliable, real-time data allows us to make quick, assertive decisions, better understand our audience’s behavior and deliver more value to our athletes, fans and partners. Expanding this analysis to soccer, especially with the Kings League, is a natural step in our vision of integrating technology, performance and entertainment on all fronts where we operate.” said Milton Stiilpen Junior, CTO at FURIA
Esports Charts’ ongoing work with FURIA highlights both its leadership in esports analytics and the broader vision of AWERTI. As AWERTI expands its data expertise beyond esports to cover sports and entertainment streaming, Esports Charts remains the go-to platform for esports data. The extensive coverage of FURIA’s participation in leagues and tournaments like the Kings World Cup Clubs 2025 shows AWERTI’s commitment to providing data-driven insights across all digital content.
The post Esports Charts and FURIA Extend Partnership, Expanding Coverage to the Kings League appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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F1 trailblazer Claire Williams OBE confirmed as iGB L!VE keynote
Claire Williams OBE, former leader of the Williams Formula 1 racing team has been confirmed as the keynote at July’s iGB L!VE
Claire Williams OBE, the former leader of the Williams Formula 1 racing team and one of the most prominent and successful women in F1 history has been confirmed as the keynote at July’s iGB L!VE the first edition to be held in London.
Exploring the best practice parallels which can be drawn between the data-driven worlds of F1 and iGaming, Claire will be in conversation with the award-winning journalist and broadcaster Nadine Dereza on the Pulse Stage at ExCeL London on Tuesday 2 July.
Announcing iGB L!VE’s high profile inspirational key note, Naomi Barton Global Portfolio Director responsible for the iGB brand said: “I am delighted that Claire who is one of only two women to head a F1 team in the modern era will be bringing her experience and insight to what is an historic edition of iGB L!VE.
“An inspirational leader she was responsible for transforming Williams F1 from an outdated, male-dominated culture into one renowned for being a pioneer of innovative technology, sustainability, diversity and inclusion.
“Her development of a high-performance team culture galvanised an underperforming race team that had been struggling on and off the grid to its best finishing positions in years.
“Progressing from the Silverstone press office to leading a group of over 1,000 employees, she possesses an authentic and fearless approach to leadership. Her keynote will be one of many ‘must attends’ of the iGB L!VE experience and will underline the brand’s focus on driving increased performance in the industry as well as our unswerving commitment to diversity.”
Looking ahead to her appearance at what is poised to be the biggest edition of iGB L!VE on record Claire Williams noted: “There are a number of ways that Formula 1 can inspire businesses and provide tangible takeaways for iGaming operators of all sizes, from product innovation to navigating entry into new markets.
“As well as key requirements such as having a dynamic leadership, a culture of continuous improvement, hiring the very best problem solvers and being the first to embrace technology advances, F1 also demands the organisational agility that’s necessary to nuance strategy in what is an ultra-competitive space. I look forward to exploring the lessons provided by F1 that will inspire iGaming leaders attending iGB L!VE.”
iGB L!VE (2nd- 3rd July, ExCeL London) will welcome a projected 15,000 iGaming and affiliate pioneers, helping businesses throughout the online gaming ecosystem to navigate an ever-changing landscape via networking opportunities, cutting-edge innovations and crucial market knowledge-sharing.
Driving Operational Excellence with F1’s Claire Williams is one of 30 inspiring sessions taking place at the world’s fastest growing gaming expo. To view the programme visit: igblive.com/event-schedule
To register for the first edition of iGB L!VE to be held in London visit:igblive.com
The post F1 trailblazer Claire Williams OBE confirmed as iGB L!VE keynote appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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