Veikkaus reports ‘significant’ reduction in problem gambling

The state-owned operator of the Finnish lottery and gambling, Veikkaus, has reported that around 80% of its players are self authenticated, leading to a significant reduction in problem gambling
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The state-owned operator of the Finnish lottery and gambling, Veikkaus, has reported that around 80% of its players are self authenticated, leading to a significant reduction in problem gambling. 

In Finland, all slot gambling is subject to compulsory authentication and by 2023, gamblers across all verticals will be subject to authentication. 

Veikkaus states that authentication contains several tools for the self-control of gambling, preventing potential problem gambling, ultimately leading to the reduced rate of problem gambling in the country.

“Our extensive Sustainability measures have aimed at reducing the problem of gambling in particular. Our most recent indicators suggest that we are definitely going in the right direction. In other words, especially Slots Gaming is clearly at a turning point”, commented Susanna Saikkonen, VP, Sustainability.

In a recent survey conducted by Taloustutkimus Oy during the autumn, Veikkaus discovered that just 0.8% of its players consider their gambling as problematic. 

Conducted each year, the survey shows a continuous decrease in problem gambling in Finland as the country imposes more measures to tackle it. 

Last year, 1.6% of respondents admitted to problem gambling whilst in 2005 that figure stood at 2.8%.

In 2017, a compulsory loss limit was imposed to reduce the amount of money lost by Finnish gamblers both online and in retail outlets. Veikkaus reported that the limits are already seeing results as in September and October, the limits prohibited 100,000 from gambling as they had hit the loss limit.

“Players must set daily and monthly loss limits on their gambling. These limits were hit 60% more often in September and October than in the previous months this year. Over 80% of the hits concerned self-imposed loss limits of under €200,” added Lauri Halkola, CDO and VP, Data and Analytics.

“Ever since the compulsory loss limits were introduced, gambling has fallen significantly in the groups of both men and women, and in all age groups, and the differences between gambling rates have even been out,” he added

“The most drastic drops have occurred in the groups playing the most and in the oldest age groups.”