Finland’s Veikkaus to require ID for all slots from July
Finland’s state-run gaming operator Veikkaus has said that all of its slots will require ID authentication from July.
Finland.- The state gaming monopoly Veikkaus has announced that all of its slot machines will require player authentication from July 2021.
Veikkaus launched ID verification for its network of slots at third-party locations in January but has not yet expanded the requirement to its own gaming halls, which it operates under the Feel Vegas and Pelaamo brands, or at Casino Helsinki in the capital.
Feel Vegas and Pelaamo sites will now temporarily close their ticket-operated slots while the machines are updated. Slot machines at Casino Hellsinki are expected to remain open but a casino card will be need to use them.
Veikkaus said the move aimed to promote responsible gambling habits by preventing the potential risk of problem gambling in advance. The measure will be expanded to cover imported slots and table games.
Veikkaus sales director Jari Heino said: “We want to ensure a responsible and natural customer experience. It still requires a lot of testing and major technical reforms. During the summer, we will also be piloting the identification of imported vending machines and table games. They are scheduled to be covered during the fall.
“We’re investing heavily in implementing Veikkaus’ responsibility measures as quickly as possible, while ensuring their high-quality implementation.”
Veikkaus reported a 32.6 per cent drop in profits for 2020 due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Publishing its results for the financial year, the operator reported profit of €680.2m. Gross gaming revenue (GGR) fell 25.5 per cent to €1.26bn.
More than half of GGR (56.6 per cent) was generated through Veikkaus’s retail network. The share taken by its digital channel increased by 11 per cent.
Veikkaus appoints Leena Vainiomäki as deputy chair
Veikkaus has named Leena Vainiomäki as deputy chairman of its board.
Vainiomäki previously worked for Danske Bank as country manager for Finland and, before that, head of business banking.
She also spent a stint at Nordea and served on the boards of Finance Finland, Varma and Danske Bank Russia.
