Veikkaus Oy, operator of the Finnish National Lottery, has become the main partner of this year’s Floorball World Championships for men, which takes place in Finland.
The men’s floorball national team of Finland enters the tournament as the reigning world champion, with the group draws at the start of March pitting it against Latvia, Norway, and Switzerland in the preliminary rounds.
Reija Airas, Veikkaus HR and Communications Director, commented: “The floorball men wrote a wonderful, golden story at the last World Championships, and now they are looking to continue it in Tampere at the end of the year.
“It is great to be part of the journey. Hopefully, this joint journey will culminate in the World Championship again, says Reija Airas, Veikkaus’s HR and Communications Director responsible for partnerships.”
Taking place at the Nokia Arena in the city of Tampere, the tournament’s organisers have reported that they expect a full stadium. Tickets for the final weekend have been sold out, with 94% of all tickets being reserved.
Meanwhile, those interested in the group stage and quarter-finals will be able to purchase a ticket from 16 April onwards, when they become available. The tournament itself will be played between 5-13 December.
Ville-Mikko Korkka, Executive Director of the Finnish Floorball Federation, added: “We are grateful for the trust. We are proud that Veikkaus is returning as a partner of floorball and also the main partner of the home championships.
“Veikkaus is a responsible gambling company and a producer of social value. We will do a great joint project with Veikkaus within the framework of the championships.”
Despite being state-owned, Veikkaus will certainly gain from additional visibility and brand recognition given that Finland’s black market is currently estimated to generate €900m, with only 22% of online gaming taking place on the regulated market – according to H2 Gambling Capital.
Not only that, but Finland is also moving away from a monopoly regime and will launch a licensed system in 2027, making way for international companies to enter the country and giving Veikkaus a run for its money.
This is why such a last-minute deal to boost its brand visibility will certainly prove to be of high importance for Veikkaus’ customer retention and acquisition abilities.
Regardless, the operator will still retain an exclusive licence over lottery, scratch cards, physical slot machines and casino games.