From as early as October, Finnish state-owned gambling operator Veikkaus‘ slot machines will require player identification by either using a Veikkaus card, a mobile application or a bank card.
As part of the pilot project, which is scheduled to be rolled out across its network from January 2021, players will need to connect, using the previously mentioned methods, to Veikkaus’ customer base. During the rest of the year, the pilot is said to have an estimated one hundred slot machines in different parts of Finland.
The revised Finish Lotteries Act will make verification checks compulsory at all retail gambling venues in the country from 2023, yet Veikkus has called for this to be brought forward.
Commenting on the company’s official website, Jari Heino, Veikkaus‘ director of channels and sales, stated: The transition to mandatory identification is one of Veikkaus’ most important responsibility measures, which aims above all to prevent gambling disadvantages. With the piloting to be carried out during the autumn, we want to test the functionality of identification, among other things.”
Requiring authentication with vending machines allows for the introduction of new gaming management tools. Among other things, the player can prevent himself from playing all games on the slot machines of the agent network for a fixed period or indefinitely.
Additionally, Veikkaus has proposed that from June 2021, the same gaming limits should be used for slot games as are already used for fast-paced games on the Internet. Mandatory identification also facilitates age control at points of sale and creates better opportunities to prevent criminal activity and money laundering offenses.
In June, Veikkaus decided to reduce the number of decentralised vending machines more than previously announced this year. A total of 8,000 slot machines will be reduced during the year, so that in December there will be a maximum of 10,500 slot machines in the agent network. About 4,500 vending machines have been reduced so far this year.
“We hope that as many slot machine players as possible will be identified before it is mandatory. Currently, only about ten percent of slot machines are identified. By offering novelty games only to recognisable players, we aim to increase the authentication rate even before January,” added Heino.