Veikkaus Implements New Time Restrictions on Slot Machines From Sep 1

Summary

• Slot machines will be shut down between the hours of 9pm and 9am
• The new regulations will take effect on September 1
• Latest changes aimed at promoting responsible gambling and improving player safeguards

Veikkaus OY, a gambling company owned by the Finnish government, has implemented new restrictions on the use of slot machines across the country. The changes which will take effect on September 1, will apply to all of its partner kiosks, retail points, as well as cafes and service stations throughout Finland.

Starting from Sep 01, slot machines will be switched off from 9 pm to 9 am, meaning customers will be prohibited from playing on slot machine terminals during that period. The customer identification requirement remains in place, with players required to authenticate their identities first before they are allowed to access Veikkaus’ gambling services across both digital and physical channels. This requirement has been in effect since July 2021.

While slot machine operations have now been limited, stores will open during the same hours. This is to provide customers with the opportunity to visit the store and shop without playing on slot machines, according to Susanna Saikkonen, Veikkaus OY’s Vice President of Sustainability.

Additionally, players also have the option to voluntarily ban themselves from playing slot machines. They can do so by contacting Veikkaus’ customer service or by simply activating the self-ban function in its online service.

Veikkaus OY, which holds a gambling monopoly in Finland has been working to strengthen its safer gambling measures after it was placed under scrutiny in 2019 for not doing enough to protect players.

The latest changes follow a series of reforms introduced by the company over the past two years which saw it cut the number of slot terminals it operates across the country to fewer than 15,000.

More changes are set to be implemented under Finland’s new Lotteries Act, including mandatory ID checks which will be conducted for coupon-based games, including lottery and Eurojackpot. They were set to take effect from January 1, 2023, but Veikkaus asked legislators to postpone the implementation to January 2024 so it can have more time to properly transition and make adjustments to its operations under the new gambling laws.

About Veikkaus

Veikkaus was formed in 2017 following a merger of three gambling operators previously serving Finnish customers – Finland’s Slot Machine Association (RAY), Veikkaus, and Fintoto. As a gambling monopoly, all gambling services being offered in Finland are operated by Veikkaus.