Following the 80 per cent increase of authentication throughout 2021, Veikkaus has revealed that slot players are losing nearly €500m less on its slot machines annually.
The Finnish government-owned betting agency highlighted in its recent report into problem gambling that, as recently as 2019, the share of slot machines out of Veikkaus’ total gross gaming revenue was €683m – a total of 40 per cent.
Moreover, the company has estimated that its share for 2022 will remain at up to €220m, resulting in less than 20 per cent.
In addition, the number of customers playing slot machines monthly has fallen. Currently at around 250,000 people, Veikkaus surveys a couple of years ago indicated numbers over close to 300,000 players.
“Our extensive sustainability measures have aimed at reducing the problem of gambling in particular,” highlighted Susanna Saikkonen, VP, sustainability at Veikkaus. “Our most recent indicators suggest that we are definitely going in the right direction.
“In other words, slot gaming is clearly at a turning point.
“One of the factors behind this development is a significant drop in the number of slot machines. While there were close to 18,500 of them in 2019, they are now fewer than 10,000.
“Other factors reducing slot gaming include the introduction of compulsory authentication and loss limits.”
Furthermore, Veikkaus also noted that all of its games will be subject to compulsory authentication set for stricter requirements, bringing with it several tools for the self-control of gambling in an aim to prevent potential problem gambling.
With compulsory loss limits introduced to online gambling in December 2017 and extended to physical slot machines on September 1, 2019, Veikkaus highlighted that all its fast-paced games are currently subject to these limits.
With this, up to 100,000 customers had to stop gambling as they hit the loss limits during the period between September and October of that year.
“Players must set daily and monthly loss limits on their gambling,” explained Lauri Halkola, CDO and VP, data and analytics. “These limits were hit 60 per cent more often in September and October than in the previous months this year.
He continued to reveal that over 80 per cent of the hits concerned self-imposed loss limits of under €200, concluding: “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.
“The most drastic drops have occurred in the groups playing the most and in the oldest age groups.”