EGBA hits out at introduction of payment blocking in Finland
Industry mouthpiece insists PSP bans don’t work and that policymakers have “missed an opportunity for meaningful and overdue gambling reform”
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EBGA) has criticised the government of Finland after proposals to introduce payment service provider (PSP) blocking for online gambling were given the green light by parliament.
The Finnish government says the measures protect customers and prevent them from depositing with non-Finnish gambling sites, yet critics claim the move has been introduced in order to restrict consumer freedoms and choice, as well as push players towards monopoly operator Veikkaus.
Finland is the only EU country with an online gambling monopoly and one of only three in the whole of Europe with such a model.
While there have been calls in Finland and beyond to relax the monopoly and introduce a licensed system to facilitate wider consumer choice, the new reforms will only strengthen Veikkaus’ position in the country.
The PSP blocking reform, as part of the amended Lottery Act, will come into effect in 2023.
The EGBA stated: “Experience from other countries shows that PSP and other blockings do not significantly affect customer demand and, with its introduction, EGBA believes that policymakers have missed an opportunity for meaningful and overdue gambling reform in Finland.”
Maarten Haijer, secretary general at the Brussels-based trade body, added: “The introduction of PSP blockings is an implicit admission that many of Finland’s gamblers prefer to bet on other websites rather than that of [a] state-run monopoly.
“There are many reasons why they do so: the availability of better betting odds, and better diversity and expertise in the products offered, are to name but a few.
“In the online world, consumers vote with their feet and that is why we will continue to encourage the government to rethink, rather than reinforce the country’s online monopoly model and advocate for the benefits of establishing a well-regulated, multi-licensing model for online gambling in Finland,” he concluded.
Earlier this month, Veikkaus announced that problem gambling rates had fallen from 2.6% to 1.8% year-on-year.