Finnish gambling monopoly Veikkaus has today revealed that 28,400 customers have self-excluded from gambling.
Of these 28,400 self-exclusions, 5,600 are from slot machines, of which 2,450 were for indefinite periods.
“We have noticed that self-exclusions on Slots Gaming have become more frequent, as more options have been available,” Veikkaus vice president for corporate social responsibility Jarmo Kumpulainen said. “However, we will not be able to analyze the situation thoroughly until after the exceptional conditions are over – the fact is that we currently only have ten percent of the machines up and running, due to the coronavirus.”
Meanwhile, 27,500 have self-excluded for online gaming, which some players having self-excluded from both slot machines and online gaming.
Of those who self-excluded, 77% are men.
This follows a series measures taken by the company to promote responsible gaming within the country.
One such measure is mandatory age verification on slot machines in public places, with the option for the player to set a self-exclusion on gaming for a fixed period of time. The operator also took a number of slot machines out of service.
Kumpulainen said: “We want to build an environment where we bear responsibility for those who are at risk of getting into trouble with their gaming. Compulsory authentication has brought us many new kinds of opportunities to do so.
“Veikkaus continues to work for safer gaming, and we are constantly planning diverse new solutions to help our customers manage their gaming better. We want to be a trailblazer of responsible gaming.”
Compulsory authentication came into affect in January 2021, before Veikkaus re-opened gaming venues in February.
According to their data, 28,400 customers have implemented self-imposed gaming bans, be that in retail outlets or online.
