Veikkaus, Finland’s exclusive gambling operator, announces a series of changes to the company’s structure as the Finnish gambling market is getting ready for the transition to a multi-license gambling system scheduled to launch on 1 January 2026. As the Helsinki Times reports, the transition outlined in the Finnish Government Program offers additional opportunities to the company but also poses certain challenges.
Gambling System Changes
Heli Lallukka, Veikkaus’ Executive Vice President of HR, reportedly referred to the system changes as a significant milestone for the operator. Indeed, Veikkaus will have to change its personnel structure to follow the transition requirements, as well as to improve expertise in the major fields of operation. As reported, the company has recently concluded talks and negotiations concerning the roles of 825 employees. These talks were aimed to secure the maintenance of the leading Finnish operator’s position of Veikkaus, as well as the power to compete in the international market.
Restructuring Strategy
The restructuring effort is a part of the operator’s strategy to feed significant investments and the external knowledge into its operations to be able to respond to constantly changing market conditions and requirements. The operator seems aware of the necessity to act swiftly and efficiently to adapt to the upcoming gambling environment in the jurisdiction which will feature multiple licensees and a fierce competition. Such a situation requires alignment with the latest technological developments and the capability to maintain and expand the customer base.
As reported by the Helsinki Times, Veikkaus will divide its operations into three main sectors for this purpose. Nora Vähävirta, SVP, will lead the domestic operations taking care of the slot machines and the company’s own arcades. Jarkko Nordlund, SVP, will be in charge of the domestic online casino and betting market while the international business sector will be governed by SVP Jonas Reuter.
Redundant Personnel
The shift to the new gambling system set to start in 2026 will reportedly result in around 185-215 redundant employees with around 110-150 expected to face changes of the terms and conditions of their labor agreements. The source reports that these redundancies, however significant, represent a reduction from the initial estimates forecasting the termination of around 240 employments and the amendments to 195 labor agreements. The reduced number of redundancies is reportedly due to company’s productive discussions with the workforce representatives.
The final decisions on employment terminations and amendments to individual employment terms are expected to be made by the end of the year. As reported, these decisions will take into account the employee’s prospective acceptance of new positions or titles within Veikkaus, as well as the availability for internal job position transfers.
Preparing For Market Changes
As a company’s strategic reaction to the changing Finnish gambling industry environment, the reorganization will trigger the closure of Casino Tampere on December 9th, as well as the termination of operation of 19 company’s game arcades on December 22nd, 2023. Once this is done, Veikkaus expects to be fully prepared for the upcoming market conditions and regulatory changes.