Quick Breakdown
- Identity & age verification to become mandatory before people in Finland can play land based slots.
- New rules effective starting January 12, 2021.
- Online slots at offshore sites remains unaffected for now.
Veikkaus, Finland’s state owned watchdog, has announced new gambling rules to be effected starting Tuesday, January 12, 2021. In the new rules, anyone who wishes to play slot games at third party venues will be required to identify themselves first before being allowed to do so. The watchdog has introduced these rules as part of its obligation of enforcing player protection through responsible gambling.
Third-party venues, in this case, include non-gambling locations such as restaurants, petrol stations, stores, and kiosks. To access games at these venues, players will need to download and install a mobile application on their devices.
Alternatively, they can use a Veikkaus virtual player card or a banking card that is connected to the operator’s customer database. They can then use these tools to verify their identities before getting the green light to access the slot machines.
The Finnish gambling regulator believes that this strategy will ensure that minors do not access slot games. In addition, authorised players will be able to control their gambling spending, hence protecting themselves from addiction.
Under the country’s amended Lotteries Act, the compulsory ID verification on slot games was meant to be implemented in 2023. However, in line with its mission of strengthening safe gambling, Veikkaus changed its plans and decided to introduce the rules earlier.