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Main provisions of Finland gambling authority
In Finland, Gambling laws of regulations dictate what and how gambling should operate. The first one is the Lotteries Act and the second one is the Decree of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health on Slot Machines and Lotteries. When we see the ecosystem of the gambling industry in Finland it is hard not to see the monopoly that exists, with Veikkaus OY as the only provider of all gambling activities in the country.
Upon inspecting the Lotteries Act, we can see key points. The first one is the age restrictions, which are expected. Article 5 of the act establishes that people under 18 are not allowed to take part in lottery or gambling activities. This change was set in 2010. Previously, from 1994 to 2010 the act allowed people older than 15 years to participate in gambling games. The Finnish government made this change in order to protect minors from over exposure to gambling.
Responsible gaming is another area that is well covered in the act. Article 12 prohibits Veikkaus Oy from facilitating access to gambling services to people who are on self-exclusion lists or people dealing with economic issues such as bankruptcy. The next article, article 13, requires the operator to provide information about responsible gaming, offering help and tools to players who might need it. Article 14 requires the operator to analyze the patterns of the players and force them to intervene when any player is showing gambling addiction problems.
The Lotteries Act also establishes that Veikkaus OY must promote gambling in responsible ways. They need to avoid marketing in media where vulnerable adults or children might be a recipient and they must have a clear message, avoiding all kinds of misleading information. They also enforce the creation of games that don't create addiction; information on the fairness of the fame must be clear at all times.
The Decree of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health on Slot Machines and Lotteries has produced more regulations aimed at protecting the player in a more comprehensive way. Article 10 establishes that the maximum bet allowed must be capped at 2 euros. The payout percentage is detailed in Article 11, which requires that the payout percentage should be at least 85%, with lotteries being required to have a payout of at least 45% Article 9 deals with the location of the slots, establishing they should only be placed on premises with licenses for that.
In an important remark, the state announced its intention to end the state-controlled monopoly, opening the gambling ecosystem to other companies and operators through a system of licenses that will be strictly given to operators that can fulfill the strong requirements that will be expected by the government. It is expected that this new law will come into effect in 2026.
