Finland to Mandate Player Identification by 2024

In a new effort to bolster player safety and enhance control over gambling activities, Finland’s regulated gambling market is set to introduce a framework effective from January 1, 2024.

This regulation will significantly impact players engaging in Veikkaus games, including scratch cards such as Ässä and the Casino lottery, who will now be required to verify their identities.

New Rules Coming into Effect

The latest move by the Ministry of the Interior follows a precedent set earlier this year, where an identification requirement was implemented for coupon games like Lotto and Eurojackpot. Veikkaus, Finland's state-owned gambling monopoly, is now responding to evolving industry norms by embracing responsible gaming practices.

Players participating in slots and other Veikkaus games will have several means of verifying their identities from January 1, 2024, such as the Veikkaus card, a driver's license, a personal identification card, a Kela card, or a mobile card accessible through the Veikkaus application.

Ville Venojärvi, director of Veikkaus' sweepstakes, emphasized the importance of this identification shift, stating, “The conditions for identification of scratch cards are good because we have a very large customer base with the identification of coupon games.”

However, even with the new identification requirement, the procedure for lottery winnings from scratch cards remains the same. Players will still need to scratch to reveal the prize, and the identification information will be required when claiming the prize, which will then be entered into the sales terminal.

These reforms align with broader changes in the European gaming industry, where the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has advocated for similar reforms in Finland, a country where Veikkaus holds a monopoly on online gambling.

In a related development earlier this year, Pragmatic Play, an online casino game provider, formed its first partnership in Finland with Veikkaus. This partnership expanded Finnish players' access to a variety of Pragmatic Play's slot games, including Sugar Rush and Gates of Olympus.

The proposed reforms extend beyond player identification for gambling games and betting activities, requiring operators to obtain a license. This broader legislative project also includes elements such as fees, taxation, safer gambling legislation, and advertising regulations.

Veikkaus for Increased Player Safety

At present, Veikkaus holds the exclusive rights to provide gambling services in Finland, overseeing all gambling games, including lotteries, casinos, and betting activities.

The reforms signify a dedication to responsible gaming and increased player safety, in line with international industry standards, ensuring Finnish players enjoy a safer and more responsible gambling experience.

These changes are poised to safeguard the benefits of the gambling industry for Finnish society, steering the nation's gaming landscape towards responsible and sustainable growth, reported the Ministry of the Interior.

Source:

“Finnish gambling regulations introduce mandatory player identification in 2024”, gamblinginsider.com, November 7^th, 2023.