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Survey: Supporters of Centre Party, Finns Party and National Coalition Party are against the Government’s decision concerning Veikkaus Ltd
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%.
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BMM Testlabs
BMM Testlabs hires Michael Minor as SVP and North America BD lead
Minor will lead land-based gaming sales strategy and customer engagement across the region.
BMM Testlabs has appointed Michael Minor as Senior Vice President & North America Market (NAM) Leader, Business Development, the company said.
In the role, Minor will lead land-based gaming sales strategy and customer engagement across North America, with a mandate to expand BMM’s regional presence and relationships with manufacturers, suppliers, and operators.
Minor brings more than 20 years of experience in business development leadership, client engagement, and sales strategy, according to BMM. He previously held senior roles at NEXTEQ, Pavilion Payments, and IGT.
Kirk White, Global President, Land-Based Gaming & Inspections, said, “Michael is a respected leader with deep experience across the North American gaming market. He understands our customers, knows how to build strong teams, and has a proven track record of delivering growth. With BMM’s full NAM coverage for certification services, we are excited to welcome Michael to BMM, supporting our client-engagement experience as we expand our services across the region.”
Minor said, “I am excited to join BMM Testlabs at such an exciting time for the company as the industry highly values what BMM is offering for Compliance and QA services. BMM has a strong reputation and focus on quality, speed, and integrity, and I look forward to working with our customers and teams across North America to support their growth and success.”
- BMM Testlabs: https://bmm.com/ Company site for confirmation of the executive appointment and BMM’s testing and certification services.
- American Gaming Association: https://www.americangaming.org/ Trade body resource for North American gaming market context referenced in the appointment.
- Pavilion Payments: https://www.pavilionpayments.com/ Background on one of Minor’s prior employers cited in the release.
- IGT: https://www.igt.com/ Background on one of Minor’s prior employers cited in the release.
The post BMM Testlabs hires Michael Minor as SVP and North America BD lead appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Latest News
BMM TESTLABS WELCOMES EXPERIENCED GAMING EXECUTIVE MICHAEL MINOR AS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & NAM LEADER, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
BMM Testlabs (“BMM” or “the Company”), the world’s original gaming test lab renowned for exceptional product compliance and certification services, today announced that Michael Minor has joined the Company as Senior Vice President & North America Market (NAM) Leader, Business Development.
In this role, Minor will lead land-based gaming sales strategy and customer engagement across the region, helping expand BMM’s presence and strengthen relationships with manufacturers, suppliers, and operators.
Minor brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in managing business development teams, client engagements, and sales strategies, and in-depth knowledge of gaming technologies and enterprise platform solutions. He previously held senior-level roles at NEXTEQ, Pavilion Payments, and IGT, where he led major initiatives and supported large-scale deployments of systems and technologies.
Kirk White, Global President, Land-Based Gaming & Inspections, said, “Michael is a respected leader with deep experience across the North American gaming market. He understands our customers, knows how to build strong teams, and has a proven track record of delivering growth. With BMM’s full NAM coverage for certification services, we are excited to welcome Michael to BMM, supporting our client-engagement experience as we expand our services across the region.”
Minor said, “I am excited to join BMM Testlabs at such an exciting time for the company as the industry highly values what BMM is offering for Compliance and QA services. BMM has a strong reputation and focus on quality, speed, and integrity, and I look forward to working with our customers and teams across North America to support their growth and success.”
The post BMM TESTLABS WELCOMES EXPERIENCED GAMING EXECUTIVE MICHAEL MINOR AS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & NAM LEADER, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Aglaja Geta
“Stories”, a new feature design to elevate sportsbook engagement and promotional visibility from BETBY
BETBY, the leading sportsbook provider, has announced the launch of Stories, a new feature designed to transform how operators present promotions and key events to their players.
Inspired by the widely adopted Stories format seen across social media platforms, the feature introduces a familiar, intuitive way for bettors to discover and engage with content directly within the sportsbook interface.
As competition for user attention continues to intensify, operators face the ongoing challenge of delivering promotions and updates in a way that cuts through the noise without overwhelming the user experience.
Stories addresses this by offering a dynamic, swipeable format that brings key content — such as bonuses, tournaments, major sporting events, and boosted odds — into a more engaging and accessible space.
Fully integrated into BETBY’s sportsbook environment, Stories enables bettors to seamlessly browse through short, interactive content cards, mirroring the mechanics they already use daily on social platforms.
This familiarity plays a key role in driving immediate interaction, lowering the barrier to engagement, and creating additional touchpoints between operators and their users.
By introducing a format that naturally encourages exploration, Stories helps increase visibility across promotional campaigns while supporting higher engagement rates.
Each new Story acts as a trigger for curiosity, prompting users to click through and discover new offers or events, ultimately contributing to improved promo turnover.
The feature feels particularly intuitive to younger demographics, who are already accustomed to this style of interaction.
By aligning sportsbook UX with established digital behaviors, BETBY allows operators to connect with these audiences in a more organic and impactful way.
“Stories is about meeting users where they already are, in terms of how they consume content,” said Aglaja Geta, Head of UX & Analytics at BETBY.
“We wanted to introduce a format that feels instantly familiar, while giving operators a powerful new way to highlight their most important promotions and events.
It creates a smoother, more engaging experience that encourages interaction without adding complexity to the platform.”
From an operational perspective, Stories offers a streamlined way to enhance the front-end experience without requiring structural changes to the sportsbook.
The feature integrates seamlessly, allowing operators to enrich their content strategy while maintaining a clean and intuitive interface.
About BETBY
BETBY is a leading B2B provider of top-tier sports betting services, renowned for its groundbreaking technology and dedication to excellence.
BETBY’s team of industry veterans tap into their knowledge and expertise to deliver a premium, adaptable, and scalable sportsbook platform tailored to meet the varied demands of operators across the globe.
From dynamic in-play betting options to robust risk management tools and ground-breaking AI tools, BETBY is committed to propelling the success of its partners in the rapidly evolving landscape of online sports betting.
For more information visit betby.com
The post “Stories”, a new feature design to elevate sportsbook engagement and promotional visibility from BETBY appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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