Finnish operator Veikkaus has announced that all of the monopoly operator’s slot machines will require mandatory authentication from July 2021.
ID verification was first introduced to slot machines back in January, in a move estimated to cut player losses by €300m.
However, the requirement is not yet in place at gaming halls owned and operated by Veikkaus through its Feel Vegas and Pelaamo brands, as well as at Casino Helsinki in the nation’s capital.
Ticket-operated slot machines at Feel Vegas and Pelaamo sites will close temporarily while they are brought up to speed, and those at Casino Hellsinki will remain open but will require registration with a casino card.
Veikkaus hopes that the measures will promote responsible gambling habits amongst players by ‘preventing potential risks of problem gambling in advance’.
Veikkaus sales director Jari Heino said: “We want to ensure a responsible and natural customer experience. It still requires a lot of testing and major technical reforms. During the summer, we will also be piloting the identification of imported vending machines and table games. They are scheduled to be covered during the fall.
“We invest heavily in implementing Veikkaus’ responsibility measures as quickly as possible, while ensuring their high-quality implementation.”
