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Survey: Supporters of Centre Party, Finns Party and National Coalition Party are against the Government’s decision concerning Veikkaus Ltd

Published

6 years ago

July 15, 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Finnish Government’s decision to make budget appropriations in order to fully compensate Veikkaus Ltd.’s beneficiaries for the decline in Veikkaus’s revenue from gambling divides the Finnish people into two, almost equal-sized opposing camps, as indicated by the survey commissioned from Bilendi Oy.

Finns are split almost exactly in half over whether or not the Finnish Government reached the right solution in deciding to make budget appropriations to fully compensate Veikkaus Ltd.’s beneficiaries for the decline in Veikkaus’s revenue from gambling in 2020.

In March this year, Veikkaus Ltd, the government-owned betting agency that holds a monopoly in Finland, shut down its gambling machines in grocery stores, convenience stores, restaurants and petrol stations due to the coronavirus crisis. Additionally, sports betting has faced an exceptional situation, as many popular sports have temporarily ceased.

41% of Finns are in favour of the Government’s decision to fully compensate the beneficiaries for the decline in revenue, while 38% of them are against it. The rest cannot say how they feel about it.

These are some of the findings of a survey conducted by the market research company Bilendi Oy as part of its M3 Panel, a nationwide consumer panel, between 10 and 13 July 2020, on commission by Kasino Curt, the gambling information website (https://kasinocurt.com/). The margin of error in the survey is ±3.1 percentage points. A total of 1,000 Finnish adults responded to the survey, and the sample was weighted by age, gender and place of residence to represent the Finnish population on a national scale.

Out of all parties’ supporters, the decision by the Government headed by Prime Minister Sanna Marin arouses the most opposition among Finns Party voters, of whom just 31 percent relate favourably to it. Out of the Cabinet parties’ supporters, Centre Party voters are against the Government’s decision; merely 37 percent of them are in favour of it. Likewise, supporters of the National Coalition Party and the minor parties are against the Government’s decision.

“On the whole, the difference between the support and opposition is so small that it falls within the margin of error. However, different age groups relate very differently to the matter. The 18-24-year-olds feel most negatively about the decision, whereas among the 45-54-year-olds, as many as 47 percent consider the decision a good one,” says Janne Juntunen, Senior Client Service Manager for Bilendi Oy.

Gambling machines in grocery stores: a sign of the post-COVID-19 era?

In June, Veikkaus publicly announced it will restart the gambling machines on 15 July. Veikkaus also announced it will do so with attention to the health risks caused by COVID-19, which seems to have convinced the Finnish people.

According to Kasino Curt’s survey, 46% of Finns approve of Veikkaus’s decision to turn the gambling machines back on while 30% of them disapprove of it. The rest cannot say how they feel about it.

“The coronavirus epidemic was not mentioned in conjunction with the survey for impartiality reasons, but the respondents may have thought that the restart of Veikkaus’s gambling machines is a sign of the post-COVID-19 era,” Juntunen mentions.

Last year, Kasino Curt commissioned two similar surveys from Bilendi. The findings of these surveys indicated that more Finns support than oppose the idea of abolishing Finland’s gambling monopoly and adopting a gambling licence system and that Finns are suspicious of the Finnish MPs’ motives in gambling matters.

The results of all the three surveys are still available online at https://kasinocurt.com.

Listed below are the statements of the most recent survey and those responses that indicated agreement or disagreement with them (that is to say, the responses “Cannot say” are not included in the listing):

In March this year, Veikkaus Ltd shut down its gambling machines in grocery stores, convenience stores, restaurants and petrol stations. On 15 July, Veikkaus will turn the gambling machines back on. In my opinion, the decision to restart the gambling machines is the right one. Agree 46%, disagree 30%.

The Finnish Government has decided to make budget appropriations in order to fully compensate Veikkaus Ltd.’s beneficiaries for the decline in Veikkaus’s revenue from gambling in 2020. In my opinion, this is right. (The beneficiaries are represented by a number of organisations.) Agree 41%, disagree 38%.

BGaming

Weekend Reels | Week 29: Slot Drops & Trends

Published

1 hour ago

July 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

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Here are this weeks latest slots releases compiled by Eastern European Gaming

EveryMatrix-owned studio Fantasma Games has launched Bonus Bullets, expanding EveryMatrix’s exclusive games portfolio with a new three-reel slot featuring modern bonus mechanics. The game introduces a Bullet Prize mechanic that awards instant cash prizes or one of four jackpots when Bullet symbols align across all three reels.

High 5 Games is marking the 25th anniversary of its Green Machine franchise with a new title, Green Machine Blitz. The company said the game will include a “fast-paced duplication mechanic,” activated collection features, four jackpots, and a LootLink bonus. According to High 5 Games, special symbols can duplicate across the reels to create chain reactions.

BGaming has launched The Godfather: 3 Pillars of Power, a new slot title built on The Godfather film franchise. According to the supplier, the game includes the likeness of Vito Corleone, portrayed by Marlon Brando, alongside the film’s voice and musical score.

Evoplay has launched Flame of Ra, a new ancient Egypt-themed online slot featuring scatter-triggered free spins and a bonus buy option. The game is played on a 5×4 grid. Wild symbols substitute for all regular symbols, while landing three or more scatter symbols anywhere on the reels activates the free spins feature.

Playson has launched 4 Chili Pots: Hold and Win, a new slot built around Hold and Win and Pots mechanics with two bonus modes and jackpots reaching 10,000x. The game runs on a 5×3 grid and triggers a Hold and Win Bonus Game with Chili Features when red, orange or green Chili Bonus symbols land, combining with enlarged matching chilis above the reels

Blueprint Gaming has released a new slot, Wolf Fury Fire Blitz, built around an “evolving Fire Blitz mechanic” and two bonus paths: Fire Spins and Blitz Spins. The game uses a Fire Blitz logo above the reels as a meter. In the base game and Power Play, the supplier said every Cash and Wolf symbol contributes to the meter, with boosts able to add extra symbols.

Wazdan has launched 16 Coins Betsson, a bespoke branded version of its 16 Coins title, in partnership with Betsson. The release adapts Wazdan’s Coins series format for Betsson players, combining the original game’s mechanics with operator-specific branding. The game is played across 16 independent reels in a 4×4 layout.

Booming Games has launched Tasty Bonanza Max Scatter, a new online slot released on 16 July 2026 from the supplier’s Malta base. The title is the second game in its Max Scatter series and uses a 6×4 grid with Scatter Pays, cascading wins and a stated maximum win potential of 15,000x.

The post Weekend Reels | Week 29: Slot Drops & Trends appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Las Vegas

WSOP 2026 wraps in Las Vegas with record 251,899 entries and $469.98m paid out

Published

1 hour ago

July 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

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The 57th annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) concluded its summer tournament schedule on July 15, 2026, after 51 days at Paris Las Vegas and Horseshoe Las Vegas. WSOP said the series ran 100 live gold bracelet events and finished with a record 251,899 total entries and $469,975,059 paid out across gold bracelet events.

WSOP reported the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em World Championship (Main Event) attracted 9,208 entrants, with the final nine set to return to Las Vegas from August 3 to 5, 2026, to play down to a champion live on ESPN. “The 57th annual World Series of Poker proved that Las Vegas remains the undisputed epicenter of the poker universe,” said Ty Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of the WSOP. “What is truly remarkable this year is how our community expanded far beyond the physical walls of the casino floor… we are incredibly proud of this summer’s success and cannot wait to witness the Final Nine battle for the World Championship on ESPN next month.”

The operator also pointed to a redesigned final table arena and an expanded distribution footprint. It said Main Event coverage returned to ESPN and cited a multi-year agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery to distribute coverage across HBO Max, Eurosport, and TNT Sports globally. WSOP added that edited broadcasts will air from July 21.

On tournament metrics, WSOP said 35,157 places were paid and 41 prizes of $1m+ were awarded. The operator highlighted several field-size records, including 22,811 entries for Event #63 $1,000 Mystery Millions No-Limit Hold’em, 1,368 entries for Event #68 $1,000 Ladies No-Limit Hold’em Championship, and 11,933 entries for Event #18 $1,500 Monster Stack No-Limit Hold’em. WSOP also said 149 countries were represented across the series and 111 countries were represented in the Main Event field, which it called a new record.

WSOP also reported digital and social growth during the series, citing 378.3 million total views across its social channels and 222,828 new followers overall. By platform, it reported 38.7 million YouTube views (103,128 new subscribers), 125 million Instagram views (54,450 new followers), 127 million Facebook views (56,800 new followers), and 36.6 million impressions on X (8,450 new followers). Looking ahead, WSOP said it is rolling out a revamped $1 Million Global Player of the Year race spanning WSOP Europe, the Las Vegas summer series, and WSOP Paradise, with the overall winner to be crowned at WSOP Paradise at Baha Mar in The Bahamas from December 1 to 17, 2026.

The post WSOP 2026 wraps in Las Vegas with record 251,899 entries and $469.98m paid out appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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iPredicta launches US prediction markets price comparison site

Published

1 hour ago

July 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

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iPredicta has launched a comparison platform for US prediction markets, aimed at bringing live prices from multiple venues into a single interface, including Polymarket. The company announced the launch from London.

iPredicta operates an affiliate model, letting users compare prices on its site before continuing to a participating exchange to register and trade. At launch, the company said it tracks dozens of live markets across two venues, with data updating automatically as markets move.

The platform includes market scoring and notifications designed to help users monitor price differences, liquidity and market movements. It also offers plain-English guides for newcomers and an “AI explanation layer” that summarizes a market’s question, resolution criteria and what the current price implies. iPredicta said the AI “produces the words, not the numbers” and “does not set scores, predict outcomes or give trading advice.”

“Prediction markets have grown rapidly over the past 12 months, yet the information people need is still scattered across different exchanges,” said Charlotte Nimmo, founder of iPredicta. “We launched iPredicta because people should not have to piece everything together across several exchanges just to understand what is happening.

“Whether you are well versed in prediction markets or trying them for the first time, iPredicta brings prices and comparisons together in one place, making it easier to follow how markets are changing. It also gives newcomers a clearer way into a category that can look complicated from the outside.”

The launch comes as prediction markets expand across categories including sport, politics, entertainment, crypto and climate. iPredicta cited CertiK’s 2026 Skynet Prediction Markets Report, which said global prediction market trading volume rose from $15.8 billion in 2024 to $63.5 billion in 2025. Nimmo previously ran affiliate betting platform Best of Bets and founded Cavalier Public Relations, according to the company.

The post iPredicta launches US prediction markets price comparison site appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.