Veikkaus, Finland’s state-owned gambling monopoly, has officially launched its new identification requirements. As announced in early November, the monopoly will now check the identities of players for all games.

In line with the identification protocols implemented for coupon games earlier in 2023, Veikkaus will now verify the identities of all of its players. The measure seeks to prevent harmed or excluded players from gambling and ensure a healthier gambling market. In addition to that, the identification measures will ensure that the Veikkaus is not allowing underage players to gamble.

The new identification system will work in the same way as the identification process for coupon games, such as Eurojackpot and Lotto. This means that players can confirm their identities with a Veikkaus Card, a Kela card or a digital Veikkaus card.

Veikkaus Says It’s the First Operator to Check the IDs of All Customers

Veikkaus representatives commented on the changes, saying that they will cement the monopoly as the first gambling company in the world to require identification for all of its games, be it digital or land-based.

According to Susanna Saikkonen, Veikkaus’ responsibility director, the identification system will have the added benefit of allowing players to easily track their playtime and spending and set annual loss limits. In addition, the verification system will boost the efficiency of Veikkaus’ exclusion scheme.

Ville Venojärvi, Veikkaus’ head of lottery games, also commented on the matter, praising the change. He pointed out that coupon game players should be already familiar with how this works. Venojärvi added that players who have purchased lottery tickets this Christmas would still be able to redeem them without identification.

In other news, the Veikkaus is preparing for the reforms in Finnish gambling that would put an end to its monopoly. Although the state-owned company is not firmly opposed to the changes, it warned that the drastic shift will likely force it to undergo major internal restructuring. As a result, hundreds of Veikkaus employees might lose their jobs, the operator warned.

The Veikkaus expects a quarter of its workforce to be affected in one way or another.

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Another amazing piece of news resonated in the industry after it was announced that another ever-popular iGaming market wants to introduce new rules!

Namely, Finland’s Ministry of Finance has set its sights on reshaping the country’s gambling terrain. Their vision entails the liberalization and limitation of the Finnish gambling market, indicating a new era of chances for both players and operators. The launched timeline implies that this transformation is predicted to occur in 2026.

Legislative Evolution

The central goal of this step is mitigating the dangerous outcomes associated with gambling activities and optimizing the channeling rate of the gambling system. That is why Finland’s governance has undertaken a transformative journey.

The plan of legislation involves the division of the state-owned operator, Veikkaus, into distinct business parts. While one will possess its lottery game monopoly, another will enter the occupied arena of online sports betting and iGaming, where it will compete with other authorized operators.

This long-awaited shift comes as a battle against the black market that has flourished due to years of monopoly-driven gambling operations.

The Ministry of Finance commented on this move saying that the scheduled transformations contain diverse elements of the gambling ecosystem, including the licensing framework, permit fees, surcharges, tools for handling gambling routines, precluding of gambling-related damage, as well as the management and marketing of gambling activities.

A Collaborative Endeavor

To ensure the success of this enterprising task, a political steering group and an intersectoral working group have been called, featuring key ministries and authorities. The industry wants to manage the social importance of the licensing system, with special awareness of its influence on mitigating gambling-related harm.

Experts from various sectors will also be extensively consulted during the trial process.

The blueprint is set to culminate in the request of a government proposal to the Parliament during the Spring of 2025. The official launch of the licensed market is then anticipated to take place in early 2026. This coming changeover is poised to form a new gambling landscape in Finland, characterized by greater assortment and regulatory sophistication.

Velipekka Nummikoski, deputy CEO of Veikkaus expressed his opinion on this amazing move saying the following: ”It’s great that the project is progressing. This is the biggest gambling reform in the history of Finland, with an ambitious schedule. The government program has set clear starting points for the reform and it is good to proceed with them. Hopefully, a system will be created that effectively channels gambling into the licensed supply.”

Source: ”Finland’s Gambling Reforms Set For Implementation In 2026”. GamingInteligence. October 25, 2023.

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Finland might be on the way to introducing a licensing model for online gaming. The country, which is the only EU member to still maintain a monopoly over iGaming, just broke ground by introducing a legislative plan to transition to a licensing system.

Finland’s online gaming monopoly, Veikkaus, commented on the matter, expressing its support for the move. According to CEO Velipekka Nummikoski, the company believes that regulation can benefit the whole Finish gaming market.

Nummikoski praised the Ministry of the Interior for what he called the most significant reforms in Finnish gaming yet. He hailed the government’s clear plan of action and said that he hopes that it would be able to channel players toward the legal market.

Under the new legislative plan, Finland will abolish Veikkaus’ exclusivity when it comes to online gambling. Still, the company will retain its monopoly over retail slots and the lottery.

Despite its apparent support of the measure, Veikkaus warned that the transition to a licensing model will likely lead to redundancies, forcing the company to restructure its business, close properties and lay off workers. According to the company’s estimates, as many as 240 employees may lose their jobs.

A New Age for Finnish iGaming

If Finland introduces a regulated gambling model, Veikkaus will split into two companies within the same group. One of the newly-formed entities will be Veikkaus’ arm which will retain its monopoly over retail slot machines and the lottery, while the other joins the competitive online market.

The Finnish government’s plans to introduce a licensing model come amid strong support for the introduction of regulated gambling. However, the transition process is set to take a few years at the very least. Under the current plans, the Ministry of the Interior will take two years to draft a legislative proposal for regulated iGaming.

The proposal will cover important matters, such as what games should be legalized, what the licensing and tax fees for online operators should be and how Finland would protect consumers from harm.

Finland’s decision to explore the possibility of introducing licensed online gaming marks a historic turning point for the country and will align it with other EU member states that use similar models.

The move was praised by the European Betting and Gaming Association, which highlighted that a licensing model will bring many benefits to Finland, including improved channelization rates and better player protections.

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