Veikkaus to launch account-based slots pilot

The Finnish state-owned gambling operator will pilot its plan for mandatory ID verification at slot machines.

Finland.- Veikkaus will begin a pilot this month to test mandatory identity verification for slot machines.

The state-owned operator has already announced that it plans to roll-out mandatory age verification across all of the slot machines at its Feel Vegas and Pelaamo gaming arcades from January 2021.

The trial starting this month will introduce the checks at around 100 gaming machines throughout Finland. Players will need to use their Veikkaus player’s card, an approved mobile app or a bank card connected to Veikkaus’ customer database to identify themselves.

The measures will also be put in place on all new slot titles, including Kultatassu, Lampunhenki and Viidakkovuori.

The measure is effectively a shift towards account-based slots play and will also allow Veikkaus to introduce further new tools to help prevent problem gambling, including linking machines to its self-exclusion system so players can block access to machines directly from the terminals themselves.

Jari Heino, Veikkaus’ director of channels and sales, said: “The transition to mandatory identification is one of Veikkaus’ most important responsibility measures, which aims to prevent gambling problems.

“With the pilot to be carried out in the autumn, we want to test the functionality of the identification controls.

“We hope that as many slot machine players as possible will register before it becomes mandatory. Currently, only about 10 per cent of slot machine players are registered.

“By offering games only to verified players, we aim to increase the registration rate before January.”

The amended Finnish Lotteries Act will make such checks obligatory at all retail gambling venues from 2023, but Veikkaus is pushing for the date to be brought forward.

It has also called on the government to expand the measure to other forms of gambling.

Veikkaus aims to introduce mandatory identification at Casino Helsinki by spring 2021, and at its upcoming Casino Tampere, which is scheduled to open in December 2021.

Account-based play will be gradually rolled out for all products with the exception of scratchcards.