Paf

PAF Group ESG Review (BetterWorldCasinos Template)

Company overview

History and ownership – Ålands Penningautomatförening (PAF) is a not-for-profit association founded on 31 October 1966 by charities on the Åland Islands. It launched gaming operations in 1967 and channels its profits to social causes¹. The head office is in Mariehamn, Åland, Finland.

Markets and licences – PAF holds the monopoly licence for gaming on Åland and operates online in Estonia, Latvia, Spain and Sweden². Subsidiaries such as AS Pafer, SIA Paf Latvija and Paf Consulting Abp hold national licences, and the group is ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified³.

Brands and products – In addition to its core Paf.com site, PAF operates Swedish-facing brands Speedy Casino, Speedybet, Speedyspel and No Account Bet after acquiring Speedy Ltd and Speedy Originals in 2021⁴⁵. Review sites describe a broad product mix – casino games, slots, live tables, video poker, sports betting, poker, bingo and lottery – with some proprietary games⁶⁷.

Responsible gambling

PAF presents itself as an industry leader in responsible gambling. It introduced a mandatory annual loss limit in 2018, which it says was unprecedented in international online gaming⁸. The cap has been tightened several times: by March 2025 it was €16 000 for most players, €6 000 for ages 20–24 and €1 800 for 18–19-year-olds⁹. Management plans to reduce the general limit to €8 000¹⁰. The limit applies across all games and brands¹¹. Earlier reductions were accompanied by the removal of high-roller customers, reducing revenue⁸.

Players also have access to a suite of tools. The Paf Radar system segments customers by risk level and triggers targeted communication¹². Users can set deposit and time limits, receive gaming reminders, view gaming summaries and self-exclude¹³. PAF openly publishes aggregate player wins and losses and avoids marketing to high-risk players⁸. The operator funded research at Stockholm University that found voluntary loss limits ineffective and therefore advocated mandatory caps¹⁴. It sits on Spain’s Gaming Responsibility Board and collaborates with FEJAR¹⁵. In 2025 PAF called for centralised deposit limits across operators¹⁶. The company is not known to hold G4, RGC, iCAP, AGA or QMRA accreditations.

ESG & sustainability

Environmental commitments – PAF measures its carbon footprint under the GHG Protocol and aims to achieve Net-Zero by 2040, a target validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)¹⁷. The 2024 carbon report recorded 5 408 tCO₂e and an intensity of 29.55 tCO₂e per €1 million turnover¹⁸. The SBTi requires the group to reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions by at least 46 % by 2030 (2019 baseline) and monitor scope 3 emissions¹⁹. PAF reports measuring over 95 % of its emissions, including suppliers²⁰.

To cut emissions PAF uses 100 % renewable electricity at its headquarters; the building is a passive house with solar panels and reduced scope 2 emissions²¹. Scope 3 emissions from procurement remain the largest share¹⁷. Since 2017 the company has climate-financed its measured emissions; in 2025 it supported a hydropower project in Peru via the UN carbon-offset platform²². Earlier projects included solar and reforestation initiatives²¹.

Social impact and human capital – As a not-for-profit, PAF distributes its surplus to public causes on Åland. In 2024 it allocated €21.5 million to social, cultural, youth and environmental projects²³ and since 1966 has distributed over €447 million²⁴. Employees vote on additional donations; in 2024 they granted €125 000 to charities focusing on Ukraine relief, cancer research and child protection²⁴. PAF’s long-term partnership with the Finnish Ski Association, announced in 2025, supports national teams and sporting events²⁵.

The company runs grit:lab, a coding school aimed at broadening the technology talent pool, which helped it win an industry award for diversity and inclusion²⁶. On Glassdoor, Paf.com has a 3.5/5 rating with 67 % of reviewers willing to recommend the employer and comparatively high scores for diversity and compensation²⁷.

UN Sustainable Development Goals – PAF aligns its sustainability work with Åland’s development agenda and references the UN SDGs, focusing on Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3) through responsible gambling, Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12) through ethical business, and Climate Action (SDG 13)²⁸.

Compliance & controversies

PAF has faced regulatory action. In 2018 the Åland District Court convicted it of negligent money laundering for failing to investigate stolen funds; the operator was fined €50 000²⁹. In 2021 the Finnish Supreme Court upheld the conviction and increased the fine to €250 000, ruling that PAF had not exercised sufficient care despite filing a suspicious transaction report³⁰. Separately, in 2019 the Swedish regulator Spelinspektionen fined Paf Consulting SEK 100 000 after self-excluded players were able to access games³¹. No subsequent fines or sanctions were identified up to October 2025.

Ratings, awards & charity associations

PAF’s responsible-gaming model has attracted recognition. It won the ACENCAS Responsible Gaming Award in Spain in 2019³², the Corporate Responsibility Programme of the Year at the 2020 Global Gaming Awards³³ and the sustainability category at the 2020 Swedish Gambling Awards, where Deputy CEO Daniela Johansson was also honoured for leadership³⁴³⁵. The EGR Nordics Awards 2023 named PAF Safer Gambling Operator and Best Diversity & Inclusion Model²⁶.

PAF’s charitable commitments are integral to its identity. The company was founded by the Red Cross, Save the Children and Folkhälsan, and those charities continue to benefit¹. It also works with Spain’s FEJAR rehabilitation association and sits on the national Gaming Responsibility Board¹⁵.

Sources

This review draws on information from PAF’s official site (history, licences, responsible-gaming policies and sustainability reports)¹²³⁶, regulators and legal rulings³⁰²⁹, industry publications (iGamingBusiness, gaffg, AskGamblers)⁶⁵, and PAF news releases detailing research, climate financing and awards¹⁴²¹³².

References

1. Paf gaming company – games – sport – casino — https://aboutpaf.com/
2. Paf licenses and ISO certificate’s — https://aboutpaf.com/corporate/licenses
3. Paf licenses and ISO certificate’s — https://aboutpaf.com/corporate/licenses
4. Paf acquires two Swedish licensed gaming companies — https://aboutpaf.com/news/paf-acquires-two-companies
5. Kambi extends Paf sportsbook deal – Gaming Intelligence — https://www.gamingintelligence.com/products/sports/172919-kambi-extends-paf-sportsbook-deal/
6. Paf Partners – affiliate program reviews & ratings — https://gaffg.com/affiliate-program/paf-partners/
7. PAF Group Casinos ✔️ (2025) – AskGamblers — https://www.askgamblers.com/online-casinos/companies/paf-group-casinos
8. Paf has openly published its players’ annual wins and losses — https://aboutpaf.com/news/pafs-yearly-loss-limit-stops-the-big-players
9. Paf lowers the mandatory yearly loss limit for all customers — https://aboutpaf.com/news/paf-lowers-loss-limit-to-16k
10. Paf lowers the mandatory yearly loss limit for all customers — https://aboutpaf.com/news/paf-lowers-loss-limit-to-16k
11. Paf lowers the mandatory yearly loss limit for all customers — https://aboutpaf.com/news/paf-lowers-loss-limit-to-16k
12. Paf’s responsible gaming measures and loss limits — https://aboutpaf.com/sustainability/responsible-gaming
13. Paf’s responsible gaming measures and loss limits — https://aboutpaf.com/sustainability/responsible-gaming
14. A mandatory loss limit is a step in the right direction — https://aboutpaf.com/news/mandatory-loss-limit
15. Paf wins award for Responsible Gaming initiatives in Spain — https://aboutpaf.com/news/paf-wins-award-for-responsible-gaming-initiatives-in-spain
16. Paf lowers the mandatory yearly loss limit for all customers — https://aboutpaf.com/news/paf-lowers-loss-limit-to-16k
17. Paf’s Carbon Accountin Report 2024 – towards Net-Zero 2040 — https://aboutpaf.com/news/carbon-accounting-report-2024
18. Paf’s Carbon Accountin Report 2024 – towards Net-Zero 2040 — https://aboutpaf.com/news/carbon-accounting-report-2024
19. Paf gets scientific climate targets approved by SBTi – Paf — https://aboutpaf.com/news/sbt-goals-approved
20. Paf climate finances it’s entire carbon footprint — https://aboutpaf.com/news/climate-financing-environmental-efforts
21. Paf has generated one gigawatt-hour of solar energy – Paf — https://aboutpaf.com/news/paf-has-generated-one-gigawatt-of-solar-energy
22. Paf climate finances it’s entire carbon footprint — https://aboutpaf.com/news/climate-financing-environmental-efforts
23. 2024 – a strong year for Paf — https://aboutpaf.com/news/a-strong-year
24. Paf employees donated €125,000 to good causes — https://aboutpaf.com/news/employees-donated-125000-euro
25. Paf Becomes Main Partner of the Finnish Ski Association — https://aboutpaf.com/news/paf-and-the-finnish-ski-association
26. Paf won two awards at the EGR Nordics Awards — https://aboutpaf.com/news/paf-won-two-awards-at-the-egr-nordics-awards
27. Paf.com Reviews: Pros And Cons of Working At Paf.com | Glassdoor — https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Paf-com-Reviews-E554739.htm
28. Paf’s responsible gaming measures and loss limits — https://aboutpaf.com/sustainability/responsible-gaming
29. Gaming company fined 50,000 euros for money laundering | Yle — https://yle.fi/a/3-10096292
30. Quarterly Financial Sector Newsletter 2/2021 | Waselius — https://www.waselius.fi/news/2021/06/quarterly-financial-sector-newsletter-2-2021/
31. Genesis and Paf fined over Swedish self-exclusion failings – iGB — https://igamingbusiness.com/legal-compliance/genesis-and-paf-fined-over-swedish-self-exclusion-failings/
32. Paf wins award for Responsible Gaming initiatives in Spain — https://aboutpaf.com/news/paf-wins-award-for-responsible-gaming-initiatives-in-spain
33. Paf wins award for the best responsible gaming program — https://aboutpaf.com/news/paf-wins-responsible-gaming-award
34. Paf named Sweden’s most sustainable gaming company – European Gaming Industry News — https://europeangaming.eu/portal/press-releases/2020/06/12/72306/paf-named-swedens-most-sustainable-gaming-company/
35. Paf named Sweden’s most sustainable gaming company – European Gaming Industry News — https://europeangaming.eu/portal/press-releases/2020/06/12/72306/paf-named-swedens-most-sustainable-gaming-company/
36. Paf lowers the mandatory yearly loss limit for all customers — https://aboutpaf.com/news/paf-lowers-loss-limit-to-16k