Scandinavia

Veikkaus’ Change Negotiations Finalised – Personnel Structure to Change as Part of Growth Strategy

Published

6 months ago

November 15, 2023

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Veikkaus continues to prepare for the upcoming change in the Finnish gambling system. It has been recorded in the Government Programme that Finland will adopt a partial multi-license system as of 1 January 2026.

“The upcoming changes in the system are a great opportunity for Veikkaus, but they also bring many changes to us at Veikkaus. Our personnel structure will be revised, and we will be focusing on our core business, working to strengthen our knowhow there,” Heli Lallukka, Veikkaus’ Executive Vice President of HR, said.

The change negotiations, which were launched at the beginning of September, and which concerned a total of 825 employees, have now been finalized. Veikkaus’ organisational structure will undergo changes that will support their strategy-based goals, i.e., to be the market leader in Finland in the future and an internationally competitive, growing gambling company.

“In the coming years, we will be making significant investments to strengthen our competitiveness. We already have top-level professionalism in the field, but in the future, we will also need knowhow from outside of the company. For example, we can offer uniquely brilliant career paths and multiple opportunities in the tech sector at present, as well as in the future,” Ms Lallukka said.

As part of the change, Veikkaus’ business operations are divided into three sections. SVP Nora Vähävirta will oversee the domestic business, which includes the games of chance, slot machines, and the company’s own arcades. SVP Jarkko Nordlund’s responsibilities in the domestic business will be the online casino and betting. The third sector covers the international business, led by SVP Jonas Reuter.

As a consequence of the change negotiations, about 185-215 Veikkaus’ employees will lose their jobs, whereas about 110-150 employees will see their terms of employment change materially.

The launch of the change negotiations was publicised about two months ago in September. At that point, it was estimated that a maximum of 240 employment relations would be terminated, whereas 195 employees would face changes in their terms of employment.

“Following constructive dialogue with the personnel representatives, we ended up with smaller final figures,” Ms Lallukka said.

The exact dates of the employment relations to end, as well as the material changes to the terms of employment, will be determined by the end of the year. Among the factors affecting them will be the employees’ decisions on whether they will accept the positions and titles offered, as well as potential internal transfers within the company.

Another outcome of the change negotiations will be that Casino Tampere will be closed after 9 December, together with 19 game arcades will be closed down on 22 December 2023.

Compliance Updates

Playnetic strengthens European presence with licence to operate in Sweden

Published

2 days ago

May 17, 2024

George Miller

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Playnetic, the new immersive B2B iGaming provider has announced that it has been granted a Swedish licence, following regulatory approval from the Swedish Gambling Authority, Spelinspektionen.

The licence allows Playnetic to launch its catalogue of innovative iGaming titles in Sweden, enabling the company to finalise partnerships with prominent operators across the country.

This significant milestone marks a major step forward in supporting Playnetic’s ambitious growth plans, which include increasing its foothold in other European markets, as well as continued expansion in regulated markets across the globe.

Dan Phillips, Playnetic CEO said: “Since launching in early 2023, Playnetic has been exploring expansion opportunities in Europe to penetrate new markets and we are thrilled with achieving this milestone.

“Thanks to our experienced compliance team, we were able to obtain this licence promptly, which is a huge positive as the market entry lines up perfectly with our regulatory roadmap for 2024. We are looking forward to launching our innovative suite of games which feature captivating themes and mechanics to players and operators in Sweden.”

The post Playnetic strengthens European presence with licence to operate in Sweden appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Scandinavia

Paf Focuses on Young People with Loss Limit Change

Published

2 weeks ago

May 8, 2024

Niji Narayan

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Mandatory loss limits stop players from losing more money. Paf has decided to lower the loss limit for everyone between the ages of 20 and 24. Young people of this age already have a lower loss limit at Paf and now it will be further reduced from €10,000 to €8000 per year.

“This is an important continuation of the responsible gaming direction we are striving towards at Paf. Now young customers can only play with us for amounts that are at a more sustainable level and within the framework of the customer segment that we have defined ourselves as the green segment,” Christer Fahlstedt, CEO of Paf, said.

Every year, Paf publishes a table showing how the profits and losses look for different customer segments. Over the years, the customer segments have been significantly affected after Paf introduced mandatory loss limits and lowered the maximum limits.

Loss limits are important

Paf customers can set their own lower limits, but cannot exceed the mandatory loss limits set by Paf. Paf’s loss limits apply to all our registered players and all game categories.

“We are not selling teddy bears, and we have a responsibility for the product we provide. As a gaming company, we can say no before a person has gambled away both house and home,” said Christer Fahlstedt.

Paf strives to be a leading gaming company when it comes to responsible gaming in the industry. Paf was the first international gaming company to introduce loss limits in 2018, and since then the maximum limits have been lowered several times.

“We need to be able to be sustainable in the long term. We believe that in a future highly regulated European market, you cannot lose more than €8,000 a year, which can be equivalent to an expensive leisure activity,” said Christer Fahlstedt.

Young people should be prioritised

Young people aged 18-24 are at a higher risk of developing problems with their gambling. Research on gambling problems and different risk groups generally indicates that young people are a risk group.

“We believe it is important to focus on young people and their gambling from a responsible gaming perspective. Together with our other responsible gaming measures, the loss limits are a good complement for better responsible gaming,” said Daniela Johansson, Deputy CEO & Chief Responsibility Officer at Paf.

The reduced loss limit for young people aged 20-24 has already been implemented on all of Paf gaming sites and markets.

The post Paf Focuses on Young People with Loss Limit Change appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Baltics

HIPTHER Announces the BALTIC & Scandinavian Gaming Awards 2024 Shortlists

Published

3 weeks ago

April 30, 2024

George Miller

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HIPTHER, the leading event organizer for Gaming and Technology industries in Europe, is excited to announce the Shortlists for the Baltic & Scandinavian Gaming Awards (BSG Awards), that will honour iGaming industry excellence in the Baltics and Nordics regions for 2024.

Hosted under HIPTHER’s Pioneering GameTech Event in the Baltics, the MARE BALTICUM Gaming & TECH Summit, the BSG Awards recognize and celebrate the achievements of the very best of the iGaming industry, as voted by their peers.

The Final Vote will be cast at the MARE BALTICUM Gaming & TECH Summit by the participants of the conference, and the Winners will be crowned at the BSG Awards 2024 Ceremony that will take place during the event on 4 June 2024.

HIPTHER is thankful to all the esteemed industry professionals who voted online and decided the Shortlists across a series of streamlined Categories covering iGaming Operators, B2B Providers, and Connected Services such us Testing Laboratories and Payment Service Providers.

View the Baltic & Scandinavian Gaming Awards Shortlists

Baltic & Scandinavian Gaming Awards – BSG Awards 2024 Categories

Baltics: Operators Categories:

Best Online Casino in the Baltics
Best Sports Betting Operator in the Baltics

Baltics: B2B Categories:

B2B Providers (Sports): Best eSports Service Provider in the Baltics
Best Fantasy Sports / Virtual Sports Provider in the Baltics
Rising Star in Baltic Fantasy Sports / Virtual Sports
Rising Star in Baltic Sports Betting Technology
Best Sports Betting Provider in the Baltics
B2B Providers (Casino): Best Online Casino Provider in the Baltics
B2B Providers (Casino): Best Slots Provider in the Baltics
B2B Providers (Casino): Best Live Casino Provider in the Baltics
B2B Providers (Casino): Rising Star in Baltic Online Casino Technology
Connected Services – Best Payment Service Provider in the Baltics
Connected Services – Best Testing Laboratory Provider in the Baltics

Nordics: Operators Categories:

Nordics: Best Online Casino in the Nordics
Nordics: Best Sports Betting Operator in the Nordics

Nordics: B2B Categories:

B2B Providers (Sports): Best eSports Service Provider in the Nordics
B2B Providers (Sports): Best Fantasy Sports / Virtual Sports Provider in the Nordics
B2B Providers (Sports): Rising Star in Nordic Fantasy Sports / Virtual Sports
B2B Providers (Sports): Rising Star in Nordic Sports Betting Technology
B2B Providers (Sports): Best Sports Betting Provider in the Nordics
B2B Providers (Casino): Best Online Casino Provider in the Nordics
B2B Providers (Casino): Best Slots Provider in the Nordics
B2B Providers (Casino): Best Live Casino Provider in the Nordics
B2B Providers (Casino): Rising Star in Nordic Online Casino Technology
Connected Services – Best Payment Service Provider in the Baltics
Connected Services – Best Testing Laboratory Provider in the Baltics
Connected Services – Best Hosting Provider in the Baltics