Finnish lottery and gaming operator Veikkaus has announced it is taking significant measures to promote responsible gaming following the introduction of compulsory authentication to slot machines in stores, restaurants, kiosks, and service stations in January.
The firm noted that it intends to adopt compulsory authentication to its gaming arcades later this year, as it gives its players a chance to self-impose a complete ban on their gaming.
By 2023, Vekkaus aims to make all of its games subject to compulsory authentication, allowing customers to set a complete ban on their gaming, as well as provide access to other tools for responsible gaming.
The firm declared that a total of 5,600 customers to date have set a self-ban on their slot machine gaming in the retail outlets, and up to 27,500 customers have opted for a self-exclusion for online gaming. In total, 28,400 of its customers have effective gaming self-exclusions. Some have set a self-exclusion on both online and slot machine gaming.
Veikkaus’ Vice President CSR Jarmo Kumpulainen, said: “We want to build a gaming environment where we bear responsibility for those who are at risk of getting into trouble with their gaming. Compulsory authentication has brought us many new kinds of opportunities to do so.”
He added: “Veikkaus continues to work for safer gaming, and we are constantly planning diverse new solutions to help our customers manage their gaming better. We want to be a trailblazer of responsible gaming.”
The firm stated that of its 5,600 customers that have set self-exclusions on slot machine gaming, 2,450 were effective until further notice and the rest for shorter periods. Of the people having set slots gaming self-exclusions, 77% were men.
“We have noticed that self-exclusions on slots gaming have become more frequent, as more options have been available. However, we will not be able to analyse the situation thoroughly until after the exceptional conditions are over – the fact is that we currently have only 10% of the machines up and running, due to the coronavirus,” Kumpulainen explained.
With compulsory authentication, slots players can also access the ‘Panic button’, which allows them to block their slots gaming until the end of the following day. Players have pressed the Panic button over 610 times on slot machines since compulsory authentication came into play at the start of the year.
In 2021, Veikkaus aims to make slot machine gaming subject to the same loss limits that are already being applied to fast-paced online games. Compulsory authentication also makes age limit controls easier and provides an extremely valuable tool for the firm’s partners when they carry out age limit controls.
Ilkka Nieminen, Director at Finnish Grocery Trade Association, said: “For the grocery stores, it is important that the age limit controls of all products subject to age limit supervision work reliably. As regards Veikkaus’ slot machines, compulsory authentication makes the work of the retail personnel much easier, since the age of a person is automatically verified before they start to play. We think it is excellent that authenticated gaming also provides technological solutions for the effective prevention of problem gambling.”
Earlier this month, Veikkaus published its full-year results for the financial year 2020, showing a total profit of €680.2m, down 32.6% from the previous year.