The Administrative Committee has commented on Veikkaus’ presence in Finland and stated that its monopoly is “practically broken”. It recommends considering alternative methods if Veikkaus’ monopoly cannot be implemented. In its recommendations for the Lottery Act, the Administrative Committee has called on the Finnish government to promptly launch an inquiry into this matter.
A bill proposing amendments to Finland’s Lotteries Act was filed in September. The bill includes various proposals to promote responsible gaming, such as blocking payments from all operators except for Veikkaus. The Constitutional Committee has expressed concerns that this would violate the constitutional right to operate a business in the country.
However, the Administrative Committee argues that blocking should be implemented, but only transactions from players to operators should be blocked. This approach aims to avoid violations of Article 15 and Article 18 of the Constitution of Finland, which address property protection and business freedom, respectively. According to this proposal, if an operator transfers payment to a player, the winnings are legally owned by the player.
Another significant amendment relates to penalty fees for advertising infringements. The Administrative Committee suggests that no penalty fee should be imposed if an operator or company rectifies the advertising violation immediately upon notification, and if the violation is not deemed serious or repeated.
The Administrative Committee supports the proposal to extend mandatory identification for all types of gambling to strengthen responsible gambling efforts. Previously, this requirement only applied to slot machines. However, the Committee points out that the proposal does not consider loss limits, which may be introduced through secondary legislation. It emphasizes the importance of designing games with responsible gaming measures in mind and substantially reducing loss thresholds to prevent harm. The Committee recommends estimating maximum loss limits for daily and monthly play.
Regarding the placement of ATMs, the Committee agrees partially with the proposed action of keeping them out of sight in shop lobbies or other public places. However, it highlights that ATM location is often crucial for generating business revenue.
