Reykjavík Grapevine - jan. 2020, Blaðsíða 6

Reykjavík Grapevine - jan. 2020, Blaðsíða 6
Daníel !ór Ólason, Professor of Psy- chology at the University Of Iceland, is the preeminent expert on the science and history of gambling in Iceland. Here, he explains why you’ll never need to learn card counting in Iceland. At the beginning of the last century, Icelanders were participating in for- eign lotteries, causing the authori- ties concerns about a flow of capital leaving the country. This led to the country’s first gambling law in 1926, which stated that any gambling op- eration in Iceland was illegal with- out specific permission and that any participation in foreign lotteries was also illegal. However, a discussion led in Congress in 1933 permitted the University of Iceland to start oper- ating a monthly lottery. Since 1933, only five other licenses for gambling operation have been issued, each by a specific law that specifies the type of gambling allowed for each license. Iceland’s policy for gambling could, therefore, best be described as a licensed based monopoly sys- tem where certain non-govern- mental institutions or charities are licensed to operate certain types of gambling to fund their organiza- tion. Thus, the legal gambling mar- ket today consists of three-monthly lotteries, EGMs (electronic gambling machines), scratch cards, National Lotto, Viking Lotto, Euro jackpot and sports pools. Casinos are, however, not permit- ted in Iceland, and any forms of or- ganized betting on card games (e.g., poker) including internet gaming (casino games) is illegal. The most probable reason for this is a concern that increased participation in ca- sino games could lead to an increase in problem gambling. 39 tourists, including several chil- dren, needed to be rescued from atop Langjökull glacier on January 7th, RÚV reports, when their snowmobile tour was caught in a storm. Several of them have reportedly sustained injuries from frostbite, and a meteorologist tells reporters that a severe weather warning was issued long before the tour began. Police are now investigat- ing the matter. About 200 rescue workers hurried to the scene when the distress call was made just before 22:00 in the evening. It took great effort to locate and trans- port the unfortunate travellers to shel- ter, and the rescue effort was further complicated by very poor visibility and many closed roads in the area. Storm warning While there were thankfully no casu- alties, some of those rescued suffered from frostbite on their fingers, and one woman needed to be transported to hospital. They had reportedly been on the glacier for several hours. Elín Björk Jónasdóttir, a meteor- ologist at the Icelandic Met Office, told reporters that the tour company in question, Mountaineers of Iceland, should have been well aware that weather conditions were going to get worse. As reported, news of an impending storm was sent out earlier in the morning, and by midday, flights and bus service had been cancelled. Déjà vu This is not the first time Mountain- eers of Iceland has been in the news for reported mismanagement of a snowmobile tour. Last January, an Australian couple sued the company for allegedly abandoning them on Langjökull and leaving them trapped in a storm for seven hours. A re p or t er for F ré t t a b l a! i! attempted to get a comment from Mountaineers of Iceland, and were told by tour guide Ólafur Tryggva son that they were “looking into the issue” but otherwise had nothing to say. The reporter made several more attempts to call the company before being told by Ólafur to “shut the hell up.” Fréttabla!i! also reports that South Iceland police have been interviewing people as they were being rescued, and the matter is being investigated. ASK A Professor Q: Why Are Casinos Illegal In Iceland? You would think that prepar- ing a simple mixed Christmas drink would be banal, but when it comes to preparing Icelanders’ favourite Christ- mas concoction, your life and reputation just might depend on your Malt og Appelsín mix- ology. But first, what are Malt and Appelsín, the dual ingre- dients in Iceland’s traditional Jólaöl (Christmas ale)? Malt is an old Icelandic drink that we started brew- ing yearly around 1915. If you can imagine a slightly sweet, non-alcoholic Guinness, then you’re close. For decades, the drink was quite expen- sive, which resulted in the tendency to mix it with other drinks to make it last a little bit longer. Enter Appelsín, an Ice- landic orange soda that Ölger$in, the biggest brewery in Iceland, began manufac- turing in 1955. Icelanders quickly learned that the result of combining sweet Appelsín and heady Malt resulted in a tasty Christmas ale. Now we get to the con- troversial part: How one combines these drinks is nothing less than a religious custom. Every year, it must be the same family member that takes on this great respon- sibility—and they better not mess it up if they want to keep their family member- ship. For hardcore believers, the perfect blend is 60% Malt and 40% Appelsín, while oth- ers swear by a clean 50/50 mix. Be mindful of with whom you discuss the sacred ratio, as the conversation could easily lead to banishment from Icelandic society or a good old fistfight. There are outliers in Ice- landic society when it comes to the Jólaöl. Some noncon- formists preach a blend of 50% Malt and 30% Appelsín, with Coca Cola making up the di"erence. In the past, there were even some idiots who preferred Pepsi over Coke, but the Yule Cat hunted them all down and rid the country of such heresy. So there you are, Malt og Appelsín: The drink that could literally ruin your reputation and status (perhaps your whole life). Enjoy. VG Ma lt & Ap pe lsí n Company Leads Tourists On Snowmobile Tour On A Glacier, Requirin$ Rescue From Storm 39 tourists saved from #rave dan#er on Lan#jökull Words: Andie Fontaine Photos: Landsbjörg First 6 The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 01— 2020 FOOD OF ICELAND NEWS Frozen 3 For more information and bookings: www.thelavatunnel.is +354 519 1616 +354 760 1000 info@thelavatunnel.is Breathtaking Experience is a A journey into ARHÓLSHELLIRRAUF The highlight of our Iceland trip! Reviewed on TripAdvisor

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