Finland’s gambling monopoly, Veikkaus, is set to limit the number of slot machines it operates around the country, the state-run operator’s Chief Executive said in a recent interview with local media outlet Kauppalehti.
The reduction was prompted by a recently introduced requirements that are aimed to reduce interest in gambling and limit the adverse impact of the practice, it also became known.
Under a recently adopted legislative amendment, slot machine operators are required to implement identification verification technology to their devices by 2022. Veikkaus’ boss, Olli Sarekoski, said earlier this week that the measure would result in a decreased interest in gambling and that the need for slot machines would not be the same.
Veikkaus revealed earlier this year plans to invest between €4 million and €8 million to revamp and upgrade its digital offering as it plans to focus its attention on providing online gambling services, while reducing its retail presence across Finland. In June, the company announced that it has gone live with a selection of online casino games provided by Swedish iGaming content supplier NetEnt.
Veikkaus has come under fire for installing its slot machines in busy public areas such as bars, supermarkets, and service stations. A citizens’ initiative urging the gambling operator to remove its devices from kiosks, shops, restaurants, and service stations has already gathered 25,000 signatures.
Winds of Change
Veikkaus’ decision to limit the number of its slots machines arrive as the idea of the liberalization of Finland’s gambling space has gained some momentum. Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne said recently that his government could at some point consider the possibility of opening the local gaming and betting market to international operators, thus putting an end to the current monopoly system and replacing it with a licensed-based one similar to that introduced in neighboring Sweden at the beginning of 2019.
Prime Minister Rinne was quoted saying that the monopoly “has had a number of positive effects in Finland, but the world is changing and we have to examine the situation in light of that change.”
Veikkaus recently faced massive public outcry that was prompted by its launch of a controversial radio advertising campaign that featured therapists encouraging frequent gamblers to indulge their habit.
After the backlash, the gambling operator pulled the questionable ads and said that it has commissioned an external evaluation of its marketing policies and will use the findings to decide on the measures that will need to be implemented to address the issues. Results from the assessment are expected to become available in late September.
Mr. Sarekoski told Kauppalehti that ambiguous legislation and a shift in public attitudes toward gambling have partially caused the ongoing problems in gambling advertising. According to the Veikkaus boss, criticizing gambling has become “a global megatrend” in recent years.
The gambling executive also elaborated that if Finland wants to maintain successfully its monopoly regime, it should prohibit gambling and money transfers from international gambling websites.
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