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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.
Inferno Mayhem
PG Soft cranks up the volume with electrifying Inferno Mayhem slot
PG Soft, the acclaimed mobile game developer, has turned up the heat with Inferno Mayhem, a 5×5 video slot that fuses rock concert intensity with thrilling gameplay. The story unfolds as players step back into the spotlight after Lennox, the king of the stage, mysteriously vanished mid-performance, leaving fans craving a show-stopping experience.
Gameplay and Features
Inferno Mayhem combines collapsing reels, respins, and Wild symbols with multipliers up to x500, immersing players in a roaring rock show atmosphere. Every spin builds toward a mosh pit crescendo, keeping adrenaline levels high.
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Respin Feature: Wild symbols can appear on any spin, sometimes carrying multipliers from x2 to x500. When Wilds land, wins are multiplied by the combined total of all multipliers, and a free respin is awarded. Locked Wilds during respins dramatically increase winning potential.
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Free Spins Feature: Triggered by Scatters:
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3 Scatters = 10 free spins
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4 Scatters = 12 free spins
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5 Scatters = 15 free spins
Wild symbols that appear during free spins remain locked until the round ends, boosting chances of epic wins.
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Super Feature Buy: For players seeking maximum thrill, this option ensures all Wild symbols carry multipliers between x2 and x500 throughout free spins.
With a maximum win of x25,000 the bet and high session volatility, Inferno Mayhem delivers an electrifying, headbanging experience.
PG Soft commented:
“With Inferno Mayhem, we wanted to capture the adrenaline of a live rock show and bring it to the reels. From the heavy-hitting Respin Feature to the power-packed Free Spins, this hit title has been crafted to get players headbanging while the guitars shred alongside the action.”
Inferno Mayhem exemplifies PG Soft’s signature approach of combining cinematic themes, innovative mechanics, and high-stakes excitement for mobile players.
The post PG Soft cranks up the volume with electrifying Inferno Mayhem slot appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Celtic Coins
Spinomenal expands Hold & Hit 3×3 series with Celtic Coins
Leading iGaming content provider Spinomenal has launched its newest release, Celtic Coins – Hold & Hit 3×3, expanding its popular Hold & Hit 3×3 series with a charming Irish twist.
Set against a lush emerald backdrop with a golden border, the game pairs a light-hearted, Irish-inspired soundtrack with a visually engaging 3×3 reel layout. Players encounter a golden Pot of Gold Wild, substituting for all symbols except the Bonus and Bonus Collect. The Bonus symbol appears on reels one and three, while the Bonus Collect is exclusive to reel two.
Landing a Bonus Collect alongside one or more Bonus symbols triggers the Bonus Game, where the triggering symbols remain locked in place. Players fill empty spots and can earn multipliers ranging from x1 to x15 of the total bet. Jackpots include the Mini (x25), Minor (x50), Major (x150), and Grand Jackpot (x1000), with the chance to win up to x5000 the total bet for hitting the maximum. Every Bonus or Bonus Collect symbol refreshes the spin counter to three, keeping the excitement high.
Additionally, the Bonus Blast Feature can activate randomly during the base game, adding more Bonus and Bonus Collect symbols to help trigger the Bonus Game.
Omer Henya, Co-CEO of Spinomenal, said:
“Celtic Coins – Hold & Hit 3×3 is another classy addition to our growing Hold & Hit 3×3 series. The coin-locking feature is on the money and makes for an incredibly exciting reel experience that is perfectly complemented by the jackpots and multipliers on offer.”
The launch reinforces Spinomenal’s commitment to innovative, feature-packed slots that combine visually rich themes with rewarding gameplay mechanics.
The post Spinomenal expands Hold & Hit 3×3 series with Celtic Coins appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Betting.za.com
Betting.za.com supports amendments strengthening South Africa’s voluntary exclusion system and compliance requirements
Betting.za.com, a leading South African information site for online betting and gambling, has welcomed the publication of draft amendments to the National Gambling Regulations, 2004 in Government Gazette No. 54106, issued under Government Notice R. 7113 by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition.
The proposed changes focus on improving the administration and enforcement of South Africa’s Voluntary Exclusion Programme through the National Register of Excluded Persons, alongside updates to technical rules for gambling machine re-certification.
“Stronger, clearer processes around voluntary exclusion are an essential part of player protection,” said Dennis Kumar, lead betting expert at Betting.za.com. “Anything that makes it easier to self-exclude, harder to bypass, and clearer for licensed operators to implement should be supported — because gambling should always remain safe, controlled, and within limits.”
Key Amendments Proposed in the Gazette
1. Clearer Registration for Voluntary Exclusion
Players wishing to self-exclude must submit a notice to the National Gambling Board (NGB) using Form NGB 1/1, in hard copy or electronically, including a recent passport-sized photo or digital image meeting minimum specifications.
2. Defined Timelines for Handling Notices
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Operators must forward exclusion notices to the Board on the day they receive them.
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The Board must process the notice within five days (excluding weekends/public holidays) and share it with license holders and provincial authorities.
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Operators must implement administrative procedures within five days after receipt.
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Exclusion takes effect 10 days after submission to the Board.
3. Strengthened Internal Controls
License holders must submit internal control measures to provincial authorities within 90 days of the regulations taking effect, ensuring effective enforcement in gambling venues. Provincial authorities then report both internal controls and provincial registers to the Board.
4. Updated Gambling Machine Re-certification Rules
The amendments revise timing for technical re-certification of gambling machines and devices, including a 24-month window in certain circumstances.
5. Updated Forms
Forms NGB 1/1 and NGB 1/2 have been revised and included in the Gazette annexure.
What This Means for Players
Voluntary exclusion provides a formal “opt-out” mechanism for anyone wanting to limit their gambling activity. Once registered:
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Players are excluded from designated gambling areas nationally
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Names are added to the National Register of Excluded Persons
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Gambling while excluded may result in forfeited winnings, remitted to the Board
The updated forms also reference support services, including the National Responsible Gambling Programme (NRGP) toll-free helpline: 0800 006 008, and an SMS/WhatsApp line.
Implications for Operators and Regulators
The draft regulations emphasize speed, consistency, and accountability:
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Operators must escalate notices same-day to the Board
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The Board has five days to capture and distribute the notice
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Operators have five days to implement administrative processes
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Mandatory submission of internal control measures ensures auditability and compliance
Betting.za.com: Championing Safer, Transparent Gambling
Betting.za.com provides independent, plain-language guidance on betting and online casino topics, focusing on licensed operators and player protection.
“Our mission is to be South Africa’s most reliable source for betting and casino information,” said Kumar. “This includes making regulatory updates easy to understand, highlighting practical tools like voluntary exclusion, and ensuring players know where to get help if gambling stops being fun.”
About Betting.za.com
Betting.za.com is South Africa’s trusted destination for expert betting and casino information. Led by Dennis Kumar, the platform publishes independent reviews, guides, and industry updates to help players make informed, safe choices.
Responsible gambling support: NRGP toll-free helpline 0800 006 008
The post Betting.za.com supports amendments strengthening South Africa’s voluntary exclusion system and compliance requirements appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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