From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Paf (company)

Gambling company owned by the regional government of Åland, Finland

Field	Value
name	Paf
native_name	Ålands Penningautomatförening
native_name_lang	sv
logo	Paf logo new.png
type	Government agency
founded	1966
hq_location	Mariehamn
hq_location_city	Åland
hq_location_country	Finland
area_served	Worldwide except non-regulated countries
key_people	Christer Fahlstedt (CEO)
industry	Gambling & casinos
products	Slots, bingo, casino, poker, online betting, live betting, lotteries
services	Online gambling, slot machines, casino services
revenue	€177.1 million (2023)
profit	€55.1 million (2023)
num_employees	316
num_employees_year	2023
parent	Ålands Penningautomatförening
subsid	paf.es
website

Ålands Penningautomatförening (commonly abbreviated Paf) is a government-owned gambling operator in the autonomous Finnish region of Åland. Established in 1966, it has legal authority under Åland’s gambling framework to provide gambling on the islands, online, and on passenger vessels operating from the region.

Paf’s operations include online gambling, gambling on board passenger ships in the Baltic Sea and surrounding Nordic sea routes, and land-based gaming such as slot machines on Åland.

Paf’s proceeds are collected and redistributed through the Åland Government as grants and other funding to public-benefit and third-sector activities; its annual reports also publish the yearly amount distributed (for example, €21.5 million reported for 2024).

History

Paf was founded in 1966 by a group of non-profit organisations in Åland, including Folkhälsan på Åland, Rädda Barnen (Save the Children), the Röda Korset (Finnish Red Cross), and the Dagens Barn foundation.

The company began operating on Åland-registered ferries in the early 1970s, and launched its first online games in 1999.

In 2015, Paf and Sunborn Hotel opened Casino Sunborn in Gibraltar. The casino was sold to Admiral in 2018.

In 2021, the Supreme Court of Finland sentenced Paf to a community fine of €250,000 in a case concerning negligent money laundering.

In 2024, Paf announced a commitment to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, a target validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

Operations

Paf provides gambling services online, on cruise ships, and through physical slot machines located on Åland. The company's services are available internationally, excluding non-regulated markets.

Responsible gambling initiatives

In 2018, it set an annual loss limit of €30,000 per customer, which was permanently lowered to €25,000 in 2019. These measures are part of Paf's approach to social responsibility, in line with its publicly owned status. Paf also monitors player behavior, collaborates with researchers at Stockholm University on problem gambling, and organizes a biennial Responsible Gaming Summit.

Awards and recognition

2014 – Social Responsibility Award, eGaming Review Operator Awards.
2017 – Social Responsibility Award, eGaming Review Nordic Awards.
2018 – Best Marketing Campaign, eGaming Review Nordics Awards.
2018 – Named one of Finland's 40 most inspiring workplaces by consulting firm Corporate Spirit Ltd.

References

(2021). "Resilience and autonomy at stake: The public construct of the Paf gambling company in the Åland Islands community". Island Studies Journal.
(2023). "Between offshore competition and a duopoly: Gambling provision on and from the Finnish Åland Islands". Nordic Journal on Law and Society.
"Annual Report 2024".
"Paf introduces €30,000 annual loss limit".
(6 December 2019). "FOX secures removal from FTSE Russell gambling exclusion list". Gaming Intelligence.
"Tukholman yliopisto tutkii nettiviestinnän keinoja pelirajojen asettamiseksi". Turun Sanomat.
"Responsible Gaming Summit".
"The history of Paf". Paf.
"Casino Sunborn License Granted".
"Sunborn and Casino Admiral join forces on new venture". Chronicle.gi.
(3 February 2021). "Penningtvätt av oaktsamhet". Finland's Ministry of Justice.
(29 February 2024). "Paf commits to reach Net-Zero by 2040".
"Paf wins award for social responsibility". Intergame.
"Paf is one of the most inspiring workplaces in Finland – wins "Most Improved" prize".

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

gambling-companies-of-finland companies-of-åland online-gambling-companies-of-finland

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Paf (company) — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report