The Finnish Ministry of Internal Affairs has issued a directive significantly reducing the monthly and weekly spending limits for online gambling sites offered by Veikkaus, the government-owned gambling monopoly. Veikkaus has also declared that lottery drawings will be halted until further notice.
The directive states that due to the “uncommon circumstances” of the COVID-19 outbreak, the monthly spending limit for “fast online games” will be decreased from €2,000 to €500 (£435.9/$541.8).
The maximum daily spending for each gambler has been cut in half from €1,000 to €500, meaning that if someone reaches the maximum amount lost in a day, they will be unable to continue gambling for the rest of the month.
These limitations will take effect on May 1st and will continue until September 30th. They apply to online slot machines, online bingo, instant win games, and table games, excluding poker.
Pekka Ilmivalta, Veikkaus’ Director of Legal Affairs and Social Responsibility, stated that the company has made the necessary technical modifications and will be able to implement these limitations from the date specified by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The Finnish lottery firm Veikkaus will temporarily halt its drawings starting May 4th. The organization intends to concentrate on providing its fundamental lottery offerings during this period. Lottery tickets, which can also be given as prizes in instant-win games, will continue to be sold, and drawings will resume after the suspension is lifted. The temporary loss limits and suspension of drawings are the most recent examples of the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on the Finnish monopoly company’s income. Last week, the organization disclosed that its revenue has decreased by approximately 40.6% since the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Finland, with all land-based casinos and gaming halls shut down and slot machines taken offline from March 13th. In the five weeks since land-based casinos closed, the company estimates it has lost about €60 million in revenue. However, the organization added that there is little evidence of its customer base migrating online, with online casino revenue only increasing by about €1.5 million since social distancing measures were implemented. The company is preparing to temporarily lay off most of its retail employees, with up to 675 employees being furloughed. Sign up for the iGaming news newsletter.