Latest News
Veikkaus’ digital gaming market share increased by 3 percentage points
2023 was a successful year for Veikkaus’ digital channel initiatives, and the company’s overall result was in line with its target. 180,000 new people registered as Veikkaus customers, and Veikkaus’ customer base now totals over 2.5 million registered customers.
Digital gaming grew by 4.5 percentage points and totalled nearly 55% of Veikkaus’ gross gaming revenue. Veikkaus channelled its development investments particularly into its digital channel, where the games created by Veikkaus’ own gaming studio also accounted for a large share of the gross gaming revenue generated by the company’s online casino, eArpa service, and other offerings. In addition, preparations were made during the year to ensure that Veikkaus would be ready for the customer registration requirement that will apply to all of its games from the beginning of 2024. Veikkaus is also the first gaming company in the world to require its customers to register when purchasing or redeeming physical scratch cards and lottery tickets, to ensure a safer gambling environment for all.
Veikkaus in 2023:
- The Veikkaus Group’s actual sales revenue in 2023 totalled EUR 1,033.1 million (-3.5% compared to 2022). The actual sales revenue includes the gross gaming revenue from gambling activities and turnover from other business activities.
- Veikkaus Group’s profit for the fiscal year was EUR 578.5 million (-13.7 %) while operating profit was EUR 573.6 million (-14.5 %). The decline in the result was due to an increase in the lottery tax, one time cost entries made as a result of the cooperation negotiations in the autumn, and significant investments in the Group’s future.
- The financial profit of parent company Veikkaus Oy for 2023 was EUR 585.0 million (-14.0%), and the operating profit was EUR 580.2 million (-14.7%). Veikkaus’ gross gaming revenue totalled EUR 1,032.0 million (-3.6 %). The decline was partly the result of Veikkaus’ responsibility measure, i.e. the identification requirement for physical ticket-based game players that came into force in May 2023.
- The lottery tax paid to the central government on gross gaming revenue increased by 1.6 percentage points from the previous year’s figure of 3.4%, amounting to 5% for the fiscal year. In 2023, Veikkaus Oy paid EUR 51.7 million in lottery tax, which is EUR 15.4 million more than the previous year.
- In 2023, authenticated gambling accounted for 90.6% (+11.1 percentage points) of Veikkaus’ domestic gambling activities. From 1 January 2024, all Veikkaus games can only be played by registered customers, who must identify themselves every time they play.
- At the end of 2023, Veikkaus had approximately 2,520,000 registered customers. The number of registered customers increased by approximately 180,000 (+8.0 %) during the year.
The long-running trend of gambling shifting to the digital channel continued in 2023, and 54.8% of gross gaming revenue from Veikkaus’ consumer-oriented gambling activities was derived from the digital channel (+4.5 percentage points). According to the estimate of H2 Gambling Capital, Veikkaus accounted for around 54% (+3 percentage points) of the Finnish digital gambling market for the year.
– Veikkaus’ profits and performance in 2023 were as expected, and we can be satisfied with these as a whole. The year was particularly successful for our online games, and Veikkaus will continue to deepen its development investments in its digital channel, says Veikkaus CFO Regina Sippel.
In terms of gross gaming revenue, the most successful of Veikkaus’ game groups was its online casino (digital automated games and digital table games), whose gross gaming revenue totalled EUR 184.0 million (+6.1%). This growth was particularly boosted by the company’s successful game releases.
Veikkaus’ most-played games were Eurojackpot and Lotto. The gross gaming revenue for Eurojackpot, which is drawn twice a week, was EUR 151.1 million (+0.0%). During the year under review, Lotto’s gross gaming revenue amounted to EUR 136.5 million (-8.9%).
2023 was the last year when Veikkaus Oy’s profit was settled to any beneficiary ministries. Beginning from 2024, Veikkaus Oy’s revenues will be directed to the state budget without any pre-defined beneficiaries.
All games to be covered by the identification requirement
Veikkaus began mandating the registration of players as Veikkaus customers for ticket-based games in mid-May. The impacts of the identification requirement on gaming have been as expected. Veikkaus also made preparations for the identification requirement for scratch card games, which entered into force on 1 January 2024 and meant that all Veikkaus games now require identification.
– Today, all of our games, including all physical scratch cards, are subject to the identification requirement. This means that we have become a worldwide pioneer in ensuring the responsibility of our gambling operations, says Susanna Saikkonen, Vice President for Sustainability at Veikkaus.
The identification of players enables a safer gambling environment where customers can be offered various services, such as loss and money transfer limits, and the possibility of self-exclusion of all games. The data obtained through identified gaming activities can also be used to prevent and reduce the harms of gambling.
– Using the data, we can analyse our players’ gambling habits and identify the signs of high-risk gambling. In 2023, our gambling harm prediction system helped us make over 3,700 calls to at-risk players, and we also introduced an automation-based care and communication model for high-risk level customers. In particular, we found that advance messages about calls, attempted calls, and the discussions that took place had a clear impact on the number of customers who decided to set a self-exclusion for themselves, Saikkonen explains.
From the perspective of preventing gambling problems, it will be vital to have other gambling companies operating in Finland follow Veikkaus’ example in complying with the same responsibility rules. The Government Programme states that Finland intends to introduce a partial multi-licence system at the beginning of 2026. It will be important to keep to the schedule that has been set. The new system will allow for the necessary tools and measures for preventing gambling problems. Every extra day in an environment without common rules is a day too late.
Veikkaus subsidiary Fennica Gaming expanded rapidly
During the year, the objective of Veikkaus subsidiary Fennica Gaming, which focuses on Veikkaus’ international business-to-business operations, was to expand the eArpa service to new markets, which it performed successfully. In 2023, the company delivered games to three continents and eight state-owned gaming companies. By the end of the year, Finnish online lotteries were available in the Nordic countries, the Baltic States, Central Europe, and America.
– Fennica Gaming’s corporate customers have been very satisfied with the quality of our games as well as Fennica Gaming’s service level, expertise, and the reliability of our deliveries. With these new markets, we have learned a lot about how we can best add value to our corporate customers’ business activities. We believe that our rapid expansion will also continue in 2024, says Timo Kiiskinen, CEO of Fennica Gaming.
eSports
Razer Enters into Multiyear Deal with VALORANT Esports EMEA
Razer has entered into a multiyear deal to become the Official Gaming Chair Partner for VCT EMEA and Game Changers EMEA.
For the 2026 and 2027 seasons, Razer’s Iskur V2 gaming chair will be used by all teams on stage and in the coach and co-streaming rooms backstage. Designed with advanced ergonomic features for extended gaming sessions, the Iskur V2 provides support and comfort, during long, high-pressure games, helping players stay focused. In a game like VALORANT, precision, speed and consistency can decide the outcome.
Razer’s flagship gaming chairs are known for their ergonomic design, featuring adaptive lumbar support system that dynamically adjusts to every movement, helping players maintain proper posture through every high-stakes moment during the season.
Razer has consistently developed gear trusted by both professional and aspiring players and now, their equipment has earned the trust of others in the VALORANT scene. Recently, VCT EMEA’s Karmine Corp also announced Razer as their Official Partner including Gaming Chairs for the upcoming year – further proof of Razer’s commitment to elevating the competitive experience.
The post Razer Enters into Multiyear Deal with VALORANT Esports EMEA appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Latest News
Tom Horn Gaming Releases Wild Tribe Wall
Tom Horn Gaming has released Wild Tribe Wall, a brand-new 5×5 scatter pays slot that takes players deep into a mysterious rainforest, where ancient tribes guard powerful riches.
Wild Tribe Wall is packed with engaging mechanics and introduces a completely reworked UX and UI, designed to make gameplay faster, cleaner and more intuitive. Key features are available instantly, cutting out unnecessary clicks and keeping players fully focused on the action.
Gameplay options such as Infinity Spins and Turbo Mode are now accessible with a single click. Bonus Buy has also been streamlined, with three clearly visible buttons – Buy Free Spins, Free Spins Booster and QuickX – placed directly under the reels for immediate access without disrupting the gameplay flow.
Wild multipliers and distinct bonus buy options
Wild multipliers range from x1 up to x50 and substitute for all symbols except Scatters. When multiple wilds land in a winning combination, their values are added together.
The bonus system adds depth and progression. Free Spins, triggered by three scatters, are fully retriggerable, while Super Free Spins, activated by four scatters, remove lower multipliers and guarantee only high-value wild multipliers on the reels, significantly increasing win potential. Players can also buy direct access to Free Spins or Super Free Spins, activate the Free Spins Booster for a higher bonus trigger chance, or enable QuickX to guarantee wild multipliers on every spin for maximum intensity.
“With Wild Tribe Wall, we focused on creating a more intuitive, user-friendly game that simply feels great to play. By reworking the UX and making features instantly accessible, we’ve removed friction from the experience. Combined with frequent wins and strong visuals, the game leaves players feeling genuinely satisfied with the gameplay,” said Ondrej Lapides, CEO at Tom Horn Gaming.
Built to deliver frequent wins and consistent engagement, Wild Tribe Wall offers a highly satisfying gameplay rhythm. A strong hit rate, combined with wild multipliers, BlastX and layered bonus features, ensures wins are regular, impactful and easy to follow from the very first spin.
The post Tom Horn Gaming Releases Wild Tribe Wall appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Anthony Rus
Mindway AI Announces Strategic Partnership with PepperMill Casino
Mindway AI and PepperMill Casino have announced a multiyear deal to strengthen player safety in Belgium. The partnership focuses on the implementation of GameScanner, Mindway AI’s premier technology designed to monitor and protect players using automated, data-driven insights.
PepperMill Casino, with over 30 years of industry experience and operations in both Belgium and the Netherlands, is committed to maintaining a safe and controlled environment where players can enjoy gaming responsibly. This partnership aligns seamlessly with their values of transparency and trust. Through this partnership, Mindway AI’s GameScanner will be integrated into PepperMill Casino’s systems. GameScanner offers innovative detection software that combines artificial intelligence with human expert assessment to monitor and identify at-risk and problem gambling behaviour.
By employing GameScanner, PepperMill Casino will provide its Belgian players an extra layer of security, utilising Mindway AI’s “Virtual Psychologist” capabilities for individualised and early detection of gambling-related issues. This development underscores PepperMill Casino’s dedication to sustainable gaming practices and upholding the highest standards of player safety and well-being.
“Partnering with a forward-thinking company like PepperMill Casino marks a significant milestone for us at Mindway AI. We are thrilled to bring our innovative GameScanner technology to their Belgian operations, reinforcing our joint mission of providing a safer gambling experience,” said Rasmus, CEO of Mindway AI.
“Mindway AI’s technology represents a significant step forward for responsible gaming. By adopting data-driven insights and behavioural science, we are raising the bar for player protection and demonstrating our commitment to leadership in safer online gambling.” said Anthony Rus, CEO at PepperMill Casino.
This partnership further strengthens Mindway AI’s presence in the European market, marking another step in its rapid global expansion. Mindway AI continues to lead the industry with solutions live in over 65 jurisdictions both online and land-based, translating their success into widespread player protection across the globe.
The post Mindway AI Announces Strategic Partnership with PepperMill Casino appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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