Gemhalla

About Gemhalla

The bill would increase the maximum sanction for contravening Section 87(1) to a P100,000 fine, imprisonment for up to five years, or both.

It would also require the Gambling Authority to give a licensee an opportunity to be heard before suspending, revoking or refusing to renew a licence.

Responsible gambling and treatment services were recurring themes in the parliamentary discussion.

About Gemhalla

From July 2027, the company will lose exclusivity over betting and iCasino products, which will become licence-based, while retaining exclusive rights for lottery games, scratchcards, slot machines and physical table games. 

The company has committed to paying market-based compensation for exclusive operations, estimated at around €1 billion for a 10-year licence period, with a significant front-loaded payment scheduled for 2026.

In further preparations for the competitive market, Veikkaus this week joined the market’s trade body, the Finnish Gambling Association, which has long lobbied for market liberalisation.

How to play Gemhalla

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) voted unanimously last week that Minnesota Valley Cooperative Light and Power Association cannot disconnect the Upper Sioux Community’s Prairie’s Edge Casino Resort over its 2.5-megawatt solar project.

Minnesota Valley, a small cooperative utility serving parts of western Minnesota, claimed the 2.5-megawatt array vastly exceeded the 40-kilowatt limit it sets for members. The utility threatened to cut off electricity to the casino if the tribal nation turned the system on.

The ruling means the array—which has sat unused for a year and a half despite being fully built—can finally be switched on once an independent engineer completes a safety review and the tribe resolves any resulting technical recommendations.