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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.
Beazt
Wildz Group Launches its New Online Betting Brand “Beazt”
The Wildz Group has launched Beazt — a new platform combining sports and casino entertainment within a single ecosystem.
Wildz is no stranger to cutting-edge products. The company was among the first ever to release a fully-fledged streaming casino, an achievement that has since been amplified by including Wildz TV. Since 2019, Wildz has launched multiple online casino brands as well as Wildz Sports, with each launch incorporating the latest technology, improving player experiences. This has culminated in Beazt, a sports-first platform designed to ensure that players enjoy seamless leisure gaming at every touchpoint.
Players will experience the gripping action of Beazt Mode, earn Myztery Boxes and get access to exclusive online events. There are wagering options to suit every budget, global sporting events 24/7, instant deposits and withdrawals and world-class VIP services for the high rollers.
Sam Brown, CEO at Wildz Group, said: “Beazt is arguably the most exciting product we have released since Wildz.com in 2019. We’ve used our latest technology to create the ultimate in online entertainment experience for gamblers across the globe. Based on player feedback, we’ve developed the ultimate Sports and Casino product that’s amazing to experience firsthand. It’s specifically tailored for instant access, rapid deposit and withdrawals, and exciting new instant reward and loyalty features that our players have come to expect from our products. It’s a truly immersive product, and we think our players will love it.”
Beazt delivers exceptional access to sports action. This includes a dedicated focus on combat sports events, offering punters a ringside seat to the betting action via innovative live streaming opportunities built into the product.
Alongside the sports betting options, a full online casino is on offer, boasting thousands of titles and all the most popular online slot, table, crash and live games players expect.
Beazt also launches with cutting-edge banking technology, offering players rapid and secure transactions via digital passcode technology and biometric login and transaction features. Fast, frictionless and secure.
Behind the extravagance of the online platform’s front end, Beazt sits on the same ISO 27001-certified platform as all other Wildz Group brands. Here, compliance, player safety and security are at the core, alongside the latest fully automated lifecycle management tools that deliver bespoke and engaging experiences for the players.
Brown added: “Years of operating our multi-brand, multi-jurisdictional business across regulated markets have taught us what it takes to provide players with the tools they need to enjoy gambling in a safe, secure and ultimately fun space. Our brands are designed to be transparent and intuitive, offer all the most secure payment methods, and give players the tools to manage their gaming experience responsibly. Beazt sets new standards for our players, by utilising the latest technology, including (for the first time) biometric features for speed and security.”
The post Wildz Group Launches its New Online Betting Brand “Beazt” appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Asia
EGT Digital to Debut Highly Anticipated “TNT Jack” Slot at SiGMA Asia 2026
Just days before its official release, EGT Digital will demonstrate one of its most anticipated slot releases to SiGMA Asia 2026 – TNT Jack, an adventure game built around cascading mechanics, with a multiplier, and a signature Dynamite feature. The launch headlines a full showcase of the company’s iGaming ecosystem at Stand 2318, as EGT Digital doubles down on Southeast Asia – one of the most competitive and fastest-growing regulated iGaming territories globally.
TNT Jack puts players in pursuit of buried treasure across a 7X7 game format, powered by the Toppling Reels feature – winning combinations trigger cascading effects that extend gameplay and build win potential. An increasing multiplier grows with consecutive wins on the same positions, reaching up to x1024.
The game’s Dynamite feature clears sections of the grid to unlock fresh winning opportunities, while Free Spins with retrigger options and persistent multipliers deliver a strong retention loop from first spin to last. All visitors at the stand will be able to experience this engaging title through a fully functional demo.
At SiGMA Asia, EGT Digital will present its complete product suite:
• Casino Games Portfolio – 180+ in-house titles, designed to deliver engaging gameplay experiences across multiple player preferences and market segments.
• Gaming Aggregator – instant access to 20,000+ games from 200+ providers, enabling rapid content scaling without complex integration overhead.
• Sportsbook – flexible integration options and optimised betting performance for operators entering or expanding in sports betting markets.
• X-Nave iGaming Platform – modular casino and sportsbook management built for operators who need configurability without sacrificing stability.
• Payment Gateway – secure, seamless transaction processing designed to reduce friction at every stage of the player journey.
“SiGMA Asia is the perfect stage to showcase how EGT Digital combines strong game content with the technology operators need to scale efficiently. TNT Jack brings exactly the kind of high-energy gameplay today’s players look for. Combined with our platform, aggregator, sportsbook, and payment solutions, we offer a complete ecosystem designed to adapt to the fast pace and specific demands of Asian markets,” said Mariana Manchina, Director – EGT Philippines Corp.
EGT will also showcase some of its most successful land-based products. The main focus will be on the company’s Asian-themed solutions – the Asian-themed jackpots Zhao Cai Shuang Yu, Sheng Sheng Bu Xi and Cai Fu Tian Jiang, as well as the brand new multigame Supreme Wang Union. The selection will be complemented by the well-known G 50 J2 Up slot cabinets, S 32 T terminals and the GRSA roulette centre.
The post EGT Digital to Debut Highly Anticipated “TNT Jack” Slot at SiGMA Asia 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Betting and Gaming Council
Britain’s Black Market Betting to Hit £33B by 2028 as Forecasts Show One in Five Stakes Could Go Illegal
The amount staked with illegal gambling operators in the UK is forecast to almost double by 2028, according to new independent analysis.
Research by H2 Gambling Capital (H2GC) shows black market stakes are expected to surge from £17bn in 2025 to more than £33bn by 2028.
That means almost one fifth (19.2%) of all online betting and gaming stakes could be placed with unsafe, unregulated black market operators within three years.
The Betting and Gaming Council warned the figures underline the growing scale and speed of the illegal gambling market, which operates outside UK rules, pays no tax, and offers none of the safer gambling protections required of licensed operators.
Grainne Hurst, Chief Executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, said: “These forecasts are a wake-up call. The black market is not a distant threat, it is growing fast, becoming more visible, and attracting billions of pounds in stakes from British customers.
“By 2028, almost one in five pounds staked online could be with illegal operators. These sites pay no UK tax, support no British jobs, and offer none of the protections that exist in the regulated sector.
“The lesson for policymakers is clear. If the regulated market is made less competitive through higher taxes or intrusive checks, customers will not stop betting, they will simply move to the black market.
“As the Gambling Commission considers financial risk assessments, it is vital that any checks are genuinely frictionless and targeted. Any policy that unintentionally drives even more customers towards illegal operators will undermine player safety and damage the regulated sector.
“That is why ministers and regulators must avoid measures that hand an advantage to the black market.”
The regulated betting and gaming sector supports 109,000 jobs, contributes £6.8bn to the economy, generates £4bn in tax each year and provides vital funding for sports, including horseracing.
The post Britain’s Black Market Betting to Hit £33B by 2028 as Forecasts Show One in Five Stakes Could Go Illegal appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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