Veikkaus continues to take measures against the epidemic

Slot machine lovers will have to confirm identity to play by 2023

Veikkaus will also restrict the visibility of the game menu on all decentralised slot machines in stores, service stations, kiosks and restaurants. Customers will not be able to see the game menu on the screen or play games until they have authenticated themselves.

Only the exclusive right holder, Veikkaus, may provide and market gambling services legally in Finland. There are several restrictions concerning the Relevant Products due to responsible gambling requirements (see question 2.8 below). For instance, all online customers must:
■ be at least 18 years of age;
■ have a Finnish bank account;
■ have a Finnish social security number; and
■ have a permanent address in Finland.
Veikkaus is obliged to verify a person’s identity and place of residence when they are opening a player account online to ascertain that the player is not a minor and that the territorial scope of the legislation of another state or region is honoured. Slot machines in stores, restaurants, kiosks, services stations and other locations outside gambling halls and casinos have also been subject to compulsory authentication since early 2021. For compulsory authentication, it is enough to present a Veikkaus customer card and it is not necessary to provide ID. Free games before players are registered are also forbidden. Further, there are other product-specific, player-specific, game genre and game type quantitative and temporal restrictions due to responsible gambling measures (see question 2.8 below). Veikkaus has the following compulsory loss limits in place: €500/day; €2,000/month; and €15,000/year. Compulsory loss limits apply only for authenticated gambling, i.e., they do not apply to slot and casino games available in gambling halls and casinos or to lottery products and scratch cards bought from the retail sector. Only the annual limit applies to betting. There are plans to include lottery products and scratch cards within authenticated gambling no later than 1 January 2024, which would also extent the applicability of the compulsory loss limits. Furthermore, all marketing activities of Veikkaus must be carried out in a socially responsible manner.

The company said that it is already possible to log in to a majority of its gaming machines with a Veikkaus card. However authentication does not yet allow for gaming restrictions; it is only possible to follow gaming activity online afterwards.

Veikkaus offers more chances to play safe

“You can only join as a loyal customer if you are living permanently in Finland. We have a lot of foreign guests at the casino so the compulsory authentication linked to your Veikkaus Card is not an option.”

The AML Act lays down the provisions on enhanced due diligence and detecting and preventing money laundering and terrorist financing. It applies to Veikkaus as the exclusive right holder for the provision of gambling services in mainland Finland (and to PAF in the Åland Islands). The National Police Board is responsible for supervising that Veikkaus complies with the AML Act. The AML Act lays down the provisions to carry out stricter customer verification of a person’s identity in cases where the transaction or the person involved in the transaction is suspected of being used for or involved in the financing of terrorism, there are doubts about the veracity and adequacy of a previous authentication of a customer, and a bet staked or winnings withdrawn equal or exceed the relevant monetary threshold. Veikkaus has a duty to inspect and report irregular activity, prepare risk evaluations and establish an AML compliance programme. From the AML perspective, in addition to the above, the State Shareholdings and Ownership Steering Act (1368/2007) should be taken into consideration in the case of Veikkaus in relation to the appointment of the state representatives and operating guidelines issued to them, the exercise of the state’s right as a shareholder, etc. Virtual currencies are not prohibited. The Finnish Act on Virtual Currency Providers entered into force in 2019 and imposed obligations on virtual currency providers concerning registration with the Financial Supervisory Authority (“FINFSA”) and compliance with the AML Act. The main objective of the Finnish Act on Virtual Currency Providers was to bring virtual currency providers within the scope of AML requirements, in line with the 5th AML Directive (“5th AMLD”). The Payment Service Provider (“PSP”)-blocking scheme was introduced in the Finnish Lotteries Act reform of 2022 and it will enter into force from the beginning of 2023. Payments from customers residing in Finland will be blocked to blacklisted gambling operators. Only the operators found to be infringing the Finnish Lotteries Act marketing prohibitions may be blacklisted by the National Police Board.

Veikkaus' responsible gaming manager Hannu Rinkinen told the tabloid Iltalehti that the company has not yet decided on a specific authentication method for the machines, mainly because it expects payment technologies to develop significantly in five years.

This new plan of action will give gamblers the chance to verify themselves on slot machines by using their “Veikkaus Card, by phone, or by using a payment card linked to their Loyal Customer status.”Thankfully, there is not much of a major issue with gambling in Finland but Veikkaus’ goal is to put an end to any problem from coming about by executing various preventative tools.Jari Heino, SVP, Channels and Sales, stated:“We have actively brought forward the transition to authentication through our own actions and reduced the number of the slot machines.

Finnish slot machines now require player ID

Veikkaus will also restrict the visibility of the game menu on all decentralized slot machines as of 1 September. These include the slot machines placed in stores, service stations, kiosks, and restaurants. Customers cannot see the game menu on the screen and play the games before they have authenticated themselves.

Over the past years, Veikkaus has carried out major measures to promote responsible gambling. The restrictions to the opening hours of the slot machines and the prominence of the games are some of the most recent of them.

Casino ID – Key to a responsible world of games

Finally, Sippel noted: “The year was particularly successful for our online games, and Veikkaus will continue to deepen its development investments in its digital channel.”

“Veikkaus’ profits and performance in 2023 were as expected, and we can be satisfied with these as a whole.“

At Veikkaus casinos, you play authenticated

Veikkaus is obliged to verify a person’s identity and place of residence when they are opening a player account to ascertain that the player is not a minor and that the territorial scope of the legislation of another state or region is honoured. Slot machines in stores, restaurants, kiosks, services stations and other locations outside gambling halls and casinos have also been subject to compulsory authentication since 2021. For compulsory authentication, it is enough to present a Veikkaus customer card and it is not necessary to provide ID.