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Veikkaus’ digital gaming market share increased by 3 percentage points

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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.

 

Baltics

HIPTHER Baltics: Vilnius 2026 Agenda Sets the Stage for the Region’s Next Era of iGaming Regulation & Fintech Integration

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The agenda for HIPTHER Baltics: Vilnius 2026 has officially been revealed, marking a defining moment for the Baltic region’s iGaming, fintech, and regulatory landscape.

Taking place on 21 April 2026 at the Hilton Garden Inn Vilnius City Centre, the conference launches HIPTHER’s new Baltics-focused series, a bold evolution designed to bring deeper, jurisdiction-specific insight and high-level dialogue to one of Europe’s fastest-transforming digital markets.

At its core, the Vilnius edition is built around a powerful theme:
“iGaming Regulation & Fintech Integration” — a convergence shaping the future of compliance, payments, and digital innovation across the region.

A Defining Moment: Lithuania’s Regulatory Reset

Lithuania is entering a new phase — one where rapid fintech growth meets tightening regulatory expectations.

The agenda reflects this shift directly, capturing a market transitioning from accessibility to accountability, structure, and long-term sustainability. From post-MiCA realities and stricter AML frameworks to evolving iGaming controls, Vilnius becomes the place where these changes are not just discussed — but decoded.

The Agenda: One Day, Two Stages, Zero Filler

The newly released agenda delivers a high-density, decision-maker-focused experience, designed for professionals who need clarity.

Across two parallel tracks — Compliance & Operations Lab and TechXperience Stage — the program cuts straight to the pressure points shaping the industry:

On the Compliance & Operations side:

  • Gambling Regulation in the Baltics: Enforcement, Gaps, and Political Pressure
  • Post-MiCA Survival: Maintaining Your License Under the 2026 Strictures
  • The Bank Pivot: SME Lending, EMI Stability & Financial Resilience
  • AML 2.0 & MiCA in Practice: Building Compliance That Actually Works
  • The iGaming Ad Ban: Survival Strategies in a “No Marketing” Era

On the TechXperience Stage:

  • Next-gen Payments: A2A, Open Banking & Cross-border Infrastructure
  • AI in Product & Workforce Transformation
  • Blockchain Beyond the Hype: Infrastructure, Tokenization & Settlement
  • Esports, Gaming & Digital Communities: Building Next-Gen Ecosystems
  • AI in Product, Risk & Compliance: From Buzzwords to Deployment + Agentic AI & Data-Driven Organizations

Going beyond theoretical insight, this Agenda is a working blueprint for navigating what’s already unfolding.

Curated Networking & Meaningful Connections

The refreshing morning break and delicious complimentary lunch, will be followed by an evening social gathering at Jazz Cellar 11 –– offering rum, jazz, conversations, and the kind of networking that somehow becomes more productive after the formal agenda ends.

Spotlight on Speakers: The People Driving the Change

The Vilnius stage brings together a carefully selected lineup of regulators, compliance and fintech leaders, legal experts, and technology innovators — the very people operating at the frontlines of transformation.

These are just some of the speakers to take the stage:

  • Rainer Osanik – Head of Fiscal Information and Intelligence Department in the Estonian Ministry of Finance
  • Ineta Mačinskienė – CEO of Walletto
  • Edgaras Abromavičius – President of the Lithuanian Esports Federation and Head of Esports and Gaming at the Lithuanian Football Federation
  • Marija Nudga – Senior Lawyer at Tonybet and Legal Expert in iGaming & Fintech Compliance
  • Kristina Vabinskaitė – Financial Markets Policy Department of the Ministry of Finance of Lithuania
  • Saulius Racevicius – CEO of Pace App and Board Member of the Fintech Hub LT

From professionals securing MiCA licenses and building risk frameworks, to experts advising on international licensing, AML systems, and cross-border fintech operations, the speaker lineup reflects real, hands-on expertise.

These are the leaders and experts shaping how regulation and innovation coexist in real time.

Zoltan Tündik, Co-Founder and Head of Business at HIPTHER, stated about the Vilnius 2026 Agenda:

“Our dedicated Baltics series this year kickstarts in Vilnius and marks a strategic pivot in how we approach regional excellence. Having spent nearly two decades in the media and news sphere, we’ve learned that general insights are no longer enough; the market now demands jurisdiction-specific precision. Lithuania stands at a fascinating crossroads where fintech maturity meets a rigorous regulatory reset. Our 2026 agenda is designed to decode this convergence, helping leaders navigate the post-MiCA landscape and tighten iGaming frameworks. As we celebrate 10 years of HIPTHER impact, Vilnius represents our commitment to staying ahead of the curve, providing the high-level, boutique environment necessary for the industry’s most critical conversations.”

Boutique by Design — Powerful by Nature

HIPTHER Baltics: Vilnius 2026 is intentionally built as a boutique, high-value experience:

  • A senior-level audience of decision-makers
  • Focused, high-quality networking opportunities
  • A premium central Vilnius setting designed for meaningful interaction

The format ensures that conversations don’t get lost in scale — they gain depth, relevance, and momentum.

Join the Conversation in Vilnius

The agenda is now live — and with it, the opportunity to be part of a room where regulation, technology, and strategy converge.

👉 Explore the full agenda & secure your spot: https://hipther.com/events/vilnius/

Because in a year defined by regulatory change, the real advantage belongs to those in the room.

The post HIPTHER Baltics: Vilnius 2026 Agenda Sets the Stage for the Region’s Next Era of iGaming Regulation & Fintech Integration appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Affiliate Succes

ReferOn Secures “Best Affiliate Software 2026” Title at SiGMA South America Awards

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ReferOn, a top-tier affiliate management platform, has been awarded “Best Affiliate Software 2026” at the prestigious SiGMA South America Awards.

This accolade signifies significant market momentum and product creativity central to ReferOn. Designed as a data-centric platform, it minimizes operational friction and enhances efficiency. This acknowledgment strengthens our path to becoming the top affiliate ecosystem in the industry, as we persist in developing high-performance infrastructure that grows with our partners.

Enhancing Productivity on a Large Scale

ReferOn’s expansion demonstrates that the sector is prepared for a more intelligent method of affiliate management. Successfully managing millions of data points from numerous partners demands a highly agile, data-oriented framework. We consistently enhance our platform to eliminate operational clutter, transforming intricate daily activities into smooth, automated processes that promote genuine efficiency on a large scale.

Alex Bukin, General Manager at ReferOn, commented on the win: “This award is a massive milestone for us, and it belongs entirely to our team. Their genuine passion for building an exceptional platform is what drives our rapid growth every single day. We don’t just want to be another tool in the stack; we want to change how affiliate marketing works for the better; making it simpler, more transparent, and much more powerful. We have ambitious plans on the horizon to further expand our capabilities.”

This acknowledgment at SiGMA South America 2026 further confirms our path as we enter our next growth phase. Our plan for 2026 and the future focuses on growth and innovation. We are proactively broadening our international reach, establishing strategic partnerships, and implementing platform enhancements that cater to the intricate requirements of contemporary affiliate networks.

The post ReferOn Secures “Best Affiliate Software 2026” Title at SiGMA South America Awards appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Crypto

Paysafe launches Pay with Crypto solution to meet US iGaming market demand

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Paysafe (NYSE: PSFE), a global payments platform, today announced the launch of Pay with Crypto, a new crypto payment method for iGaming operators and daily fantasy sports brands in the U.S. market. Powered by MoonPay, the leader in global crypto payments and stablecoin infrastructure, Pay with Crypto allows iGaming brands’ customers to use their preferred stablecoin or cryptocurrency to effortlessly fund their player accounts, where permitted.

With a reported ~70.4m American adults owning cryptocurrency and with Paysafe’s own research indicating that 83% of U.S. players have appetite for crypto payments, the company has responded to meet this demand with Pay with Crypto. Whether a player wants to fund their iGaming account using USD Coin (USDC), another stablecoin, or any major cryptocurrency, Paysafe’s new payment option for operators’ cashiers enables their crypto deposit to be rapidly converted to U.S. dollars to allow play.

After selecting Pay with Crypto and their preferred stablecoin or cryptocurrency, players simply connect their crypto or custodial wallet to fund the deposit, with the MoonPay Commerce Checkouts technology also supporting transactions via QR code using users’ phones. Once transactions have been verified, Pay with Crypto instantly converts crypto deposits into U.S. dollars to fund the player account.

The flexibility embedded in the Pay with Crypto solution also extends to operators, which can choose to settle payments almost instantly in stablecoins in their business’s crypto wallet, or settle in U.S. dollars or any major fiat currency through MoonPay’s Virtual Accounts powered by Iron.

Operators can upgrade their cashiers with Pay with Crypto through a single, streamlined integration of the Paysafe Gateway, which has been developed specifically for iGaming and leverages the company’s 30 years’ global experience. With the Gateway already boasting frictionless card payments, the Skrill digital wallet, the PaysafeCash eCash solution, a Pay by Bank product, and 30+ local payment methods, the addition of Pay with Crypto sees Paysafe continue to diversify its offering to meet evolving transactional preferences.

Zak Cutler, President of Global Gaming at Paysafe, said: “Galvanized by the growing popularity of stablecoins, cryptocurrency is evolving in the U.S. from an investment asset into a unit of value for payments, and we’re seeing this shift gather pace in the country’s iGaming market. Against this backdrop, we’re delighted to unveil Pay with Crypto, a forward-thinking solution that strongly positions U.S. operators for their customers’ changing transactional preferences – the future of how they pay when they play.”

Ivan Soto-Wright, Founder and CEO of MoonPay, commented: “Crypto rails are making payments faster and more efficient, and our job is to close the gap between this technology and real-world utility. People shouldn’t have to convert their digital assets just to make a purchase – they want to use what they already have. Paysafe brings that experience to more people through trusted, regulated platforms.”

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