Finland is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, and in case you are planning to visit the country and want to play live poker, then this report is for you. In this report, we will delve into the live poker scene of Finland, as well as share the available poker rooms in the country.
Is Poker legal in Finland?
Yes, poker is legal in Finland. Despite having a population of 5.6 million, there are thousands of online poker players. The country’s poker scene is thriving, but the only problem is that it doesn’t have enough casinos to play live poker.
However, the Finland’s government has begun its regulatory shift in July this year and will be taking a liberal approach towards poker. The country’s government proposes a bill for a liberalized gaming market. It is reported that there will be many commercial gambling operators in the country by 2027.
Live Poker Rooms in Finland
As I mentioned before, Finland doesn’t have many casinos. According to some reports, only one live casino is currently operating in the country — Casino Helsinki. There used to be three total casinos in the country, which included Casino Tampere and PAF Casino, but got closed down. PAF Casino still runs its online casino in the Aland Islands in Finland, where Casino Tampere was closed down in December 2023.
Casino Helsinki Poker Room, Helsinki
Casino Helsinki is the only land-based casino in Finland, which has a dedicated poker room. Situated in the capital city of Finland, Helsinki, the casino boasts two dedicated floors for gamers. The first floor attracts table game enthusiasts, while the second floor is for slot games. It offers over 350 slot games, and 20+ table games, including classic casino games, and obviously poker.
The poker room has 7 tables, where you can play Texas Hold’em and Omaha Pot Limit. It is popular for its cash games, which have 2.5/5 blinds with a minimum of €50 buy-in and a maximum of €350 buy-in. Casino Helsinki also hosts season wise tournaments, such as Helsinki Freezeout, Midnight Sun Poker, Fennia Big Bang, and Poker Finnish Championship.
Casino Tampere
Besides the many fun things you can do in Helsinki, you can visit Tampere for a land-based casino experience. Casino Tampere, opened to players in 2021, is a very modern casino facility. It has 120 slot machines spread in a 20,000-square-foot area. Poker fans are thrilled to see dedicated rooms to enjoy their favorite game.
It is perfectly located next to Nokia Arena but does not offer accommodation. After your break from gaming, you can enjoy a variety of bars and restaurants. Also, those who love shopping can have a great time in nearby malls. Casino Tampere follows the same practice as Casino Helsinki, which pioneered responsible gambling in Europe. It also implements loss limits so that players don’t go broke.
Reports suggest that this casino is no longer operational. We suggest verifying its status through official sources.
PAF Casino
The PAF Casino in Mariehamn in the Åland Islands. This is the land-based casino in this area, promising excellent gaming experience. This facility offers a standard set of casino games, with slots as the most dominant game. Players can enjoy playing blackjack, baccarat, and roulette. Although the casino doesn’t offer cash poker games, players can find several poker derivatives.
According to some reports, this casino is no longer in operation. We recommend you to confirm it via official sources.
Top Poker Players in Finland
Several Finnish poker players have made their name in Global Poker. One of them is obviously Patrik Antonius, the high stakes poker pro with $23.64 million in career earnings. The player ranks 1st in Finland’s all-time money list and has won the 2005 EPT Main Event and Triton Title. Most recently he won the EPT Monte Carlo Super High Roller title. Antonius began his journey from playing online poker. He even won Hendon Mob’s 2009 Online Player of The Year Award for his formidable performance in the online poker scene. This year marked a significant milestone for him as he was inducted into poker hall of fame.
Juha Helppi is another Finnish player with WSOP bracelets from Finland. Helppi has two bracelets, with one bracelet coming from 2020 WSOP online. He claimed his first World Series of Poker Bracelet in 2019 Event #72: $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship for $,622. Helppi is also the only Finnish player to have won the World Poker Tour Main Event as he won the 2002 WPT Aruba Poker Classic Main Event for $50,000. He currently ranks 2nd in Finland’s all-time money list with $9.21 million in live earnings.
Besides these poker pros, Finland’s Joni Jouhkimainen is also making waves in the world of poker. He won a gold bracelet in the 2022 WSOP Online Event #30: $840 NLH 6 Handed for $66,004. He recently collected his first PokerGo Title in the SHRB Kyrenia $51,500 PLO Event for a career high score of $526,900. With the victory, he exceeded the $7 million mark in earnings to rank 3rd in Finland’s all-time money list.
There is just one poker room in Finland, Casino Helsinki, and it allows both tourists and locals to play poker and participate in other types of casino games.
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