The report from the Harm Assessment Group suggests that licensing private operators could enhance consumer protection and promote social responsibility in the gambling industry. This measure is recommended alongside efforts to remove offshore operators from the market.
The first section of the report focuses on tightening existing controls, while the second section provides a comparison with other regulated gambling markets. The report emphasizes that the availability and accessibility of slot machines contribute to gambling problems. Veikkaus, the country’s gambling monopoly, plans to reduce the number of machines in operation to address this issue.
The report also highlights the impact of long opening hours on responsible gambling efforts. Unlike other countries like Norway and Denmark, where machine availability is limited during certain hours, slots in Finland operate 24/7. Additionally, the report calls for restrictions on the locations where slot machines can be placed, either by removing decentralized devices or limiting them to Veikkaus-operated venues.
To reduce accessibility, the report suggests a complete ban on marketing slot products and the implementation of risk profile analyses for machines. This would enable warnings about potential negative effects to be displayed to customers. Online harm reduction measures should also consider the offshore market, potentially through licensing or blocking unlicensed operators’ access to Finnish consumers.
The report highlights the use of a centralised self-exclusion database and mandatory ID verification as safeguards for responsible gambling. Veikkaus is currently piloting ID verification and plans to implement it fully in 2021. Finally, the report suggests expanding mandatory limits, currently in place for online games, to other forms of gambling, ensuring they are applied uniformly and still allow reasonable gambling sums.
As the Finnish government works on changes to the Lotteries Act, the report provides valuable insights that could inform future regulations. Veikkaus has expressed support for the mandatory identification controls for slot machines and has called for their early implementation.
