Veikkaus Confirms Plans for Identity Checks for Scratch Games

Veikkaus, Finland’s gambling monopoly, announced its plans to implement changes related to the purchase of scratch cards, strengthening its efforts toward responsible gambling. On Tuesday, the monopoly confirmed that starting from January 1, 2024, customers who purchase scratch cards for Ässä and Casino lottery will have to identify themselves.

Showing identification would be needed not only for purchasing but also for claiming any winnings from the scratch card games. The latest change expands the mandatory identification that is already applicable for customers who purchase coupon games. Identification was made mandatory by Veikkaus for coupon games like Eurojackpot and Lotto back in May.

While the new change comes into effect starting from January next year, the Finnish gambling monopoly explained that scratch card games will continue to be sold the same way as before through the end of this year. Similarly, winnings for games purchased during 2023 would not require identification.

As a means of identification, Finnish customers can use either a personal card or a driver’s license. They would also be able to identify with a Veikkaus card, Kela card or the mobile card that is offered via the lottery’s application. Considering the mandatory identification for coupon games, the change that will affect scratch cards comes as no surprise and many users are already familiar with the methods used to identify themselves.

Coinciding with the announcement about the mandatory identification for scratch cards, Veikkaus confirmed the addition of raffles for such games. Starting from next year, scratch card lottery tickets that do not have a win can be entered into an additional daily draw. Previously, that draw was available only for Ässä and Casino once a week. Now, there will be five prizes drawn daily with each being €1,000 ($1,070).

The Lottery’s Customers Benefit from Flexible ID Conditions

Ville Venojärvi, Veikkaus’ director of lottery games, revealed that there’s already a large customer base that is familiar with the identification process from the coupon games. He added that the conditions for identifications are flexible. Speaking about the new daily lottery draw, Venojärvi said: “The new additional draw offers excitement to scratch card players more often than before. Participating in the new additional lottery is easier and we respond to customers’ wishes with the reform.”

“Identification is already a familiar operating method to our customers.“

Ville Venojärvi, director of lottery games at Veikkaus

Focusing on the change related to the mandatory customer identification, Venojärvi said that Veikkaus was among the first gaming companies to require identification for the digital, as well as the physical channel. According to him, identification checks can help “prevent gaming disadvantages,” while at the same time, boosting Veikkaus’ efforts toward responsible gambling.