57 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JULY/AUGUST 2024 The WLA publishes seminal report on Best Practices for Marketing Communications in Sports Betting. To read the report in full, Visit www.world-lotteries.org Veikkaus keeps lottery rights as Finland begins 2027 reforms The Ministry of the Interior of Finland has submitted its draft proposal of a new Gambling Act which intends to end the monopoly arrangements of state-owned gambling firm Veikkaus Oy, which currently has an exclusivity over sports betting and online casino games. The proposals call for Veikkaus Oy to exit the online gambling market, though the monopoly will retain exclusive rights to operate lotteries, racing pools, totalisator bets, physical slot machines, and arcade games. The new regime will prioritise the introduction of a licensing system for online operators. This will allow foreign and domestic businesses to apply for licences granted by the Finnish Supervisory Agency. The government plans to develop an IT network for barring and payment blocking to restrict unlicensed gambling activities and exposure to the black market. The proposal calls for Finland to tighten its gambling compliance with new laws on customer registration, identity verification, and age limits for gamblers. A centralised player registry will oversee new customer protections, allowing for customer self-exclusion across all licensed operators. This measure is needed to enhance consumer protection and reduce gambling-related harm. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will monitor and assess the harms associated with gambling. They will conduct market research and well-being studies alongside the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. Finland will revise its advertising laws to moderate the volume of gambling advertising in terms of scope, visibility, and repetitiveness. The government warned stakeholders that the outdoor marketing of gambling games involving ‘a high risk of harm’ will be prohibited. The government intends to implement the proposed changes gradually, with licensing applications opening in early 2026 and licensed gambling operations starting in 2027. Veikkaus Oy will maintain its monopoly until the end of 2026, with full compliance for game software licensing expected by 2028. The Ministry of the Interior has recommended that the state review the ownership structure of Veikkaus Oy as soon as the new system has settled. The new licensing system will also increase the annual compensation of Veikkaus Oy for its remaining exclusive contracts. Reiner Moser, a Minister of the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, replaces Udo Götze as Chairman of the GGL. Netherlands appoints Teun Struycken as Gambling Minister Mr. Nikolaos Nikolakopoulos appointed as CEO of INTRALOT Election of a New Board of Directors & appointment of its independent members - Election of a New Audit Committee - Mr. Nikolaos Nikolakopoulos is appointed as the new CEO. The board includes Sokratis P. Kokkalis as Chairman, Executive member; Constantinos G. Antonopoulos as Vice- Chairman, Non-Executive member; Nikolaos Nikolakopoulos as CEO, Executive member; Chrysostomos D. Sfatos as Deputy CEO, Executive member; and Konstantinos E. Farris, Executive member, among others. Vlaemminck.law opens dedicated office Poland in initiative to enhance service and support for clients throughout Europe Paulo Alexandre Duarte de Sousa assumes responsibilities as the new president of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia in Lisbon NeoGames™—now part of Aristocrat Interactive™—to provide complete iLottery solutions to the New Hampshire Lottery in multiyear, turnkey deal Leading Lottery Expert Kurt Freedlund Joins Gaming Laboratories International (GLI®) as Senior Lottery Solutions Account Executive Owner of UK national lottery operator severs ties with Gazprom FDJ Group sells its Sporting Solutions Services subsidiary to the Betsson group FDJ Group, France’s leading gaming operator, announced that it has signed an agreement to sell its Sporting Solutions Services Limited subsidiary in the UK to the Betsson Group, a global sports betting and gaming operator. DraftKings is shutting down its non-fungible token (NFT) business following recent legal challenges ITHUBA Uganda officially launches the Uganda National Lottery Online gambling in Australia has ‘exponentially increased’, new report warns New research shows an increasing number of Australians are gambling online and entering "risky” territory. The Australian National University’s centre for gambling research found people have continued to gamble at elevated levels, after spiking postpandemic. The director of the gambling research centre, Dr Aino Suomi, said the "new normal” of gambling participation – which included entering lotteries – had plateaued at around 60%, an increase from about 50% of the adult population who participated in gambling during the Covid shut downs. The UK Gambling Commission launched a new gambling survey which is set to become one of the largest in the world and establish a new baseline for understanding gambling behaviour in Britain; to be published July 25 Ladbrokes owner Entain names Gavin Isaacs, former CEO of betting group Scientific Games, as its new boss, aiming to bring stability to the British gambling company at a time when regulatory challenges are hurting its profit. UK: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced Fiona Twycross appointed Minister for Gambling New Zealand Announces iGaming Legalization to Thwart Offshore Websites
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