The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has called for the end of the Finnish gambling monopoly. They aim to fix the gambling policy in Finland in order to make it fairer for other operators in this region.
A huge monopoly
According to the EGBA, Finland is the only country in the EU that still has a gambling monopoly. As a result of this, Veikkaus has managed to become one of the biggest operators in Europe over recent years. Their annual revenue sits at €1.6bn.
Veikkaus is an extremely large and present operator in Finland with more slot machines than there are ATMs in the country. Although, this issue has been recently addressed by Veikkaus who has been removing slot machines from arcades across the country over the past year.
Shift of public opinion
EGBA Secretary General Maarten Haijer has recently noted that there are criticisms of Veikkaus and its monopoly. There has been a shift in public opinion in favour of an end to this monopoly according to a survey from Kasino Curt back in 2019.
Haijer said: “These days you are more likely to hear criticisms of Veikkaus and its prevalence across Finnish society”
He added: “Introducing open-licensing for online gambling is not revolutionary, it is evolutionary, and will ensure that most Finns gamble in a regulated and protected environment. But adapted to the realities of our times.”
With all other EU countries having already done this, there is a larger call for Finland to make a change.
There are no immediate plans to end the monopoly in Finland but with action from the EGBA, there could be changes in the future. The betting landscape in Finland could soon be changed forever.
