Finnish government-owned gambling monopoly Veikkaus is to restrict slot usage by setting a time limit on grocery store machines.
From September, the betting agency will only allow slot machines to be available between 9am and 9pm.
Susanna Saikkonon, VP of Sustainability at Veikkaus, commented: “Veikkaus wants to offer people the option of shopping without the slot machines being open for playing.
“Veikkaus also wants to offer its customers the option of imposing a total self-ban on their playing of slot machines. Self-bans can be activated, for example, in Veikkaus’ online service or by contacting our customer service.”
Furthermore, Veikkaus is also set to restrict public access to games machines without authorisation, as game menus which were previously displayed before authentication will now be hidden to the public, until a user has been authorised for play.
Finnish players have been required to authenticate themselves since July 2021, using Veikkaus cards, phones and payment cards linked to customer accounts to prove their authenticity.
This preemptive measure is also set to begin in September, and will include game machines in all stores as well as service stations, kiosks and restaurants.
“Authenticated gambling is the key to self-control when gambling. It has been applied to slot machines, and it enables our customers to set limits and bans on their gambling,” Saikkonon added.
“If they wish, our customers can block their gambling completely. Veikkaus is on its way to becoming a gambling company where all gambling is authenticated, both in digital and physical channels.”