There are many kinds of video and computer games; some are so-called edutainment games, some pure entertainment. Also entertainment games may be beneficial to a child (e.g. the development of language and motory skills) but games may also be harmful to the balanced development of a child. Some games contain violence, sex and horror, which are not suitable for children. A large number of players are adults and therefore games are also designed for adults.
Interactive audio-visual programmes, which computer, console and video games are called in the Act, are exempted from mandatory prior classification, but each must, however, bear an age category based on its harmfulness. The lower age categories are usually recommendations, but the age category 18 is always mandatory, i.e., it must be complied with. An 18 game may not for example be sold to a person who has not attained the age of 18.
All games distributed as recordings in Finland have to be notified to the Finnish Board of Film Classification, which will register them with the recommended age categories of 3, 7, 12 or 16 or with the binding age category 18.
The age category marking according to the Pan-European Game Information age-rating system (PEGI) is used in most games. The Finnish Board of Film Classification registers all PEGI-rated games automatically. If the game is not PEGI-rated, the game must bear a Finnish age-category marking.
The Finnish Board of Film Classification shall, however, have the right to request also a game for prior classification if there is reason to suspect that it contains material which is harmful to children. The importer or manufacturer of a game may also have a game classified. If the game is classified by the Finnish Board of Film Classification, even the lower age categories are not recommendations, but mandatory, i.e., conveyance of the game to a person who has not attained the age indicated by the age category is in violation of the Act.
The so-called educational games (solely for the purposes of education), the offering of online gameplay as well as downloading from the Internet are left outside regulation.
Public exhibition and distribution of games without prior classification or/and registration and age-category markings as well as in violation of the age category is an offence for which one may be sentenced to at most 6 months of imprisonment.
