Veikkaus Oy, the Finnish betting agency owned by the government has revealed a brand new responsible gambling campaign designed to reduce the number and traffic on the slot machines in this Scandinavian country. The operator’s officials have announced that they would reduce their number of slot machines by twice as many as was previously planned. An official press release was sent out to the media regarding the new campaign.
In this official press release, it was revealed that the company has over 18,500 slot machines at sites across the Scandinavian nation. Initially, the plan was to reduce its slot machine estate for around forty percent or to 11,000 by the end of this year. This campaign was actually launched back in December of 2019 after the company came under fire for lack of responsible gaming protocols and for not doing enough to prevent gaming and gambling-related harms.
The company was also under fire for not doing enough to help vulnerable players from developing harmful gaming habits. To spread awareness about the importance of responsible gaming campaigns, the company’s new slot machine estate reduction plan includes further cuts which will leave Veikkaus Oy with some 10,500 slot machines in the following years.
Veikkaus Oy Since 2017
As previously mentioned, Veikkaus Oy is the government-operated and owned betting agency that currently holds a monopoly over gambling and gambling activities in Finland. The betting agency emerged on the stage in 2017 and it was established through a merger of three other betting agencies including Finland’s Slot Machine Association, Fintoto, and Veikkaus.
Back in January of last year, Veikkaus Oy announced its plan to reduce its current workforce by around four hundred positions. At the same time, the company also announced overhauls of its gaming locations as well as its responsible gaming campaign which will see the company reduce its massive slot machine estate. When it comes to the company’s profit distribution, it is determined by the law and according to the law, fifty-three percent of its profits go to the Ministry of Education and Culture, forty-three percent go to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and four percent go to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
Post-Coronavirus Revival
According to the company’s officials, the company is stepping up its game when it comes to responsible gaming policies and protocols. Moreover, the company’s plan is to hit its long-term goals of its envisioned slot machine estate reduction by the end of this year by which the company hopes to have at least eight thousand fewer slot machines across the nation.
The betting agency also revealed that its envisioned reduction and accelerated exercise will be conducted in several stages throughout this year in hopes of delivering a secure and safe business experience for those who are at risk of developing any kind of gambling-related addiction. Jari Heino who works for Jari Heino used one of the company’s latest press releases to proclaim that his company’s network of Feel Vegas and Pelaamot gaming clubs in addition to Casino Helsinki will soon emerge from lockdowns triggered by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic from the 26th of June. While the venues will open their doors to the public, they will start by welcoming only a limited number of visitors.
