“We have ambitious expansion plans”

Benefits obtained with the activities related to gaming business are allocated to social and public welfare: culture, sports and social sector. It is also the official sponsor of the Spanish football club Atlético de Madrid and of the reality TV show “Football Cracks”.
 
With regards to responsible gaming, Paf has just become the first company in the gaming sector worldwide in offering insurance dedicated to take care of the consumer, with the aim to bring support to people with gambling problems.

Which are Paf's main products?
Paf is an association governed by public law and has provided secure and entertaining gambling services on ships and on Åland for more than 40 years. Paf also has a broad gaming offer on the Internet, which includes bingo, lotteries, poker, casino games, games of skill and betting at very competitive odds. We have our heritage in slot machines and now two of our most popular games on the Internet - Cash and carry and Private Eye - are based on the very same technique. The amount raised from gaming activities after costs was 20,000,000 Euro in 2009, which all went to good causes.

In your opinion, How will remote gaming (Internet and cell phones) evolve?
In three words: easier, faster and smarter. The younger generation is very into the digital platforms and even the older part of the market is adapting to the new technique.

Do you plan to expand your territories of operation?
We are always looking on our possibilities to act within the laws and regulations on different markets. We are a growing company and there is a broad interest for our gaming products worldwide.

Do you have projects for the Latin American market?
We focus mainly on Europe, but Latin America could be interesting since we are now developing the Spanish market.

Which are your main objectives and projects for the coming months?
Our main focus is to grow in Sweden and Estonia, but we are also looking at the Italian market. Our expansion plans are ambitious and growing is an important goal for us.
Our Brand promise is “Play among friends” and we try hard to develop a site that delivers that promise and where you can develop relations and communicate with people sharing your interests. We also provide possibilities to meet “in the physical world” for example on trips or other events through Club Paf.

In your view, which regulations and legal changes are needed to boost the industry?
We believe in government-controlled licensees. It has been very successful in Italy for example, where the government has been able to keep the control, increase competition and achieve a higher amount of income for the state at the same time.

Which are the main trends that you observe in the industry?
I would like to put it the other way around: I see a lack of initiatives when it comes to responsible gaming. At Paf, we aim to look after our customers and be the company that offers the best customer care in the industry. Therefore we have, as the first gaming company in the world, launched customer care insurance. Today you have to live in Sweden, Åland or Finland to be part of it, but we will expand to other markets later. It includes everybody that has been playing with us for 120 Euro during a period of 1 year. If they are diagnosed with a gambling addiction, we finance cognitive therapy on maximum ten occasions. A customer care insurance policy is one of the many ways online gaming can be safer.