Veikkaus Revamps Betting System with OpenBet Partnership Ahead of Finnish Market Liberalization

Veikkaus and OpenBet Join Forces: A New Era for Finnish Betting

Finnish gambling landscape is set for a dramatic overhaul as Veikkaus, the state-controlled gambling operator, announces a pivotal agreement with industry giant OpenBet. This strategic partnership is set to elevate the Finnish betting experience, marking a significant shift from Veikkaus’s long-standing gaming monopoly.

The collaboration aims to revamp Veikkaus’s fixed-odds betting system, integrating OpenBet’s advanced offerings. This move is poised to enhance Veikkaus’s existing Pitkäveto and Live Bet products and enrich the build-a-bet feature with new sports options. The full suite of updates is slated for completion by the end of 2024.

Juha-Matti Mäkilä, Veikkaus’s Vice President of Betting Operations, underscores the ambition to remain Finland’s premier betting choice. This partnership will deliver a superior customer experience, incorporating the international betting market’s finest attributes. Anticipated reforms will ensure Veikkaus’s offerings are finely tuned to Finnish players’ preferences.

The Finnish government is gearing up for a licensed gambling market launch by 2026, signaling the end of Veikkaus’s monopoly. In preparation, Veikkaus is streamlining operations, which includes closing select venues like Casino Tampere. The restructuring will see Veikkaus realigned into three distinct units: domestic games of chance, domestic online casino and betting, and international operations. This reorganization follows the unwinding of a 2017 merger, setting the stage for a more specialized and agile operation, primed to excel in a competitive environment.

As Veikkaus adapts to these sweeping changes, it anticipates some workforce impacts but is committed to navigating this transition with care for its employees. The future of Finnish gambling is on the brink of transformation, with Veikkaus and OpenBet at the helm of innovation.