Veikkaus reforms ethics council responding to public pressures
Finland’s under pressure gambling monopoly Veikkaus has confirmed that it will re-establish an independent ethics council to make sure that the state-owned operator fulfils its social responsibility mandate across all operating verticals.
The ethics council is re-established as Veikkaus governance confirms this week, a raft of new gambling protection measures, including significantly reducing the number of slots across its leisure portfolio.
Furthermore, adhering to new legislative amendments, Veikkaus confirms that it will introduce new age verification provisions across its entire slots’ inventory by 2022.
Speaking to national media, Olli Sarekoski Chief Executive of Veikkaus acknowledged public concerns, that had seen 25,000 Finns sign a petition to remove Veikkaus slots from Kiosks, shops, restaurants and service stations.
Leading the Finnish monopoly, Sarekoski states that a reformed Veikkaus will move to be less reliant on slot machines as a vertical.
Supporting its social responsibility directives, Veikkaus reforms its ethics council, which had been disbanded in 2017 as Finland’s ‘Lottery Reform Act’ ordered Veikkaus to absorb Finnish racing monopoly Ray and lottery operator Fintoto, establishing a singular state-owned gambling enterprise.
Nevertheless, Veikkaus has faced criticism operating as Finland’s gambling monopoly, with government bodies criticising its €50 million advertising account and games portfolio as being detrimental to the nation’s public health interests.
This August, Veikkaus was forced to suspend its entire marketing activity, having published an ‘insensitive’ marketing campaign which featured a ‘therapist character’, advising patients that ‘cravings for thrills and winnings are normal behaviour’.
The advertising blunder has triggered a debate in Finnish Parliament on how the government should develop the ‘next phase’ of Finnish gambling reforms, having turned Veikkaus into the nation’s sole gambling operator.
Defending Veikkaus position, Sarekoski has stated to national media, that the Finnish monopoly had not been supported by ‘unambiguous legislation’, which has not taken into account changes in gambling and shifting public attitudes.
Source: SBC News
