Finland’s Veikkaus Introduces New Identification Requirements

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.