In recent years, Finland has become famous for being ranked as the happiest country in the world. If you are wondering how this honour is decided, it is determined each year by the World Happiness Report, a survey of the state of global happiness that ranks 156 countries based on how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be, which the report also correlates with a variety of quality of lie factors.

Many Finns might now know it, but the country's gambling sector is evolving into a unique model for other nations.

For starters, Finland's state-directed gambling sector is highly successful. In an age when economists tend to downplay the role of nationalised industries, Veikkaus has managed to create an efficient, popular, and socially responsible role.

Far Cry 3 Review (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

In these days of constant triple-A titles it's a joy to be reminded that every now and again one of them actually exceeds its promise - before roasting it with a flamethrower and kicking its charred corpse over the side of the boat. Far Cry 3 is an incredible game that, unless you have some weird natural abhorrence to FPS games you should go and buy immediately.

It’s no secret that the Nordic countries are among the most successful in the European gambling industry. Sweden especially - home to some of the biggest operators, game suppliers and payment providers - has been instrumental in pushing the iGaming market forward in several ways. However, in recent years, the Nordic listed company share prices have decreased notably.

When it comes to Finland’s reputation on the world stage, the first words that appear in the minds of most people are design, video gaming, and sometimes, Moomins. It is therefore hardly surprising that Finland continues to be ranked as one of the best places in the world to be a game developer. Surve

LittleBigPlanet Karting (PS3)

I'm a sucker for karting games, me. There's nothing more fun than downing a few brewskies with your mates and letting loose with some ridiculous power-ups and unrealistic physics. LBP Karting is essentially a fusion of LBP and ModNation Racers, but unfortunately it ends up being less than the sum of its parts.

The internet has had a major impact on the everything we do to the extent that the current generation is now being referred to as digital natives. Digital natives are individuals who have grown up during the age of digital technology and have therefore been familiar with computers and the Internet from an early age. The age of digital technology has changed how we socialise, how we work, how we shop and how we travel. 

The Finnish gaming industry is one of the fastest growing in the global gaming market with an average growth rate of 45%. In 2016, the Finnish gaming industry set a record-high turnover of 2.5 billion euros. The share of Finnish mobile game development was roughly 7% of the global revenue of 35 billion.

Forza Horizon (Xbox 360)

Forza Horizon is a strange beast. On the one hand it's got Forza in the title, so you'd be forgiven for assuming that the realism and endless tinkering possibilities are present and correct. On the the other hand it's a pedal-to-the-metal arcadey racer with thrills and spills aplenty, almost more reminiscent of Need For Speed than the series from which it takes its name.

Animal Crossing has sold more than any other console game in history

Covid-19 has changed our lives in many ways. Which of these changes will become permanent or affect our lives far into the future remains to be seen.

Remote working may establish itself as a viable option instead of, or in addition to driving back and forth in the rush hours. How about the cinemas? Would people still want to pack into a theatre with hundred other people to watch a movie with a stranger breathing down your neck, when you could stream it from the comfort of your home in a few weeks? And what would that do to the movie business?

PAF will host the entirety of Pragmatic Play's content, including new video slots Da Vinci’s Treasure and Peking Luck

Ålands Penningautomatförening (Paf) has seen a number of important supply deals with gaming specialists in recent months. The online casino operator, still licensed and controlled by the regional government of Åland, has been keen to increase its portfolio, especially given possible future changes in Finnish gambling laws that could mean increased licencing opportunities for foreign competitors.

Resident Evil 6 (360, PS3)

I’ve never been a fan of survival horror so the fact that RE6 isn’t particularly scary doesn’t really bother me.

Finnish lottery winners mostly want to stay anonymous. Image ICP

When on one crispy September morning, a young Finnish man from Ostrobothnia played a 20 cents round in an online jackpot game, he could not believe his eyes as the digits of the winning sum rolled into place on his phone: 4 853 321,69 euros! 

A life-changing sum for almost everyone on the planet, but not for Finns. A survey by the Finnish gaming company Veikkaus found out that nearly all Finnish lottery winners keep their win a secret, shared only to closest relatives or spouse. 

Zumba Fitness Core review (Xbox 360)

It's coming up to New Year, which means you might be interested in getting (back) into shape in the next few weeks. If you're a Zumba expert then Core might be the game for you, as this Kinect-only title is going to be kicking your arse from the first five minutes. If you've never donned a colourful leotard and shaken your booty to the strains of hip-hop influenced salsa before then go for the much more friendly Zumba Fitness Rush.

The Testament of Sherlock Holmes (360, PS3, PC)

It’s definitely nice to play a game that’s unlike the usual crop of shooters and sports games, and TTSH is certainly of a more cerebral bent.