12 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2025 VEIKKAUS DRIVES FORWARD ITS STRATEGIC PRIORITIES WHILE FINLAND RESTRUCTURES ITS GAMBLING SYSTEM Olli Sarekoski Chief Executive Officer, Veikkaus Paul Jason: Finland is heading towards license model – current feelings? Olli Sarekoski: The reform of the gambling system is expected and welcome. It will be a great opportunity for Veikkaus, and we have worked long-term to prepare for the near future. Our vision is to be a respected and successful international money gaming group by 2030. We want to continuously develop ourselves in the spirit of our new mission of “we passionately drive better gaming”. How has Veikkaus been preparing for the future overall? O. Srekoski: We have been pushing data-driven culture to achieve our ambitious goal to become the most data-driven gaming company in the world – utilizing AI as one of the core value drivers. Already, we are utilizing AI in Veikkaus’ web site and mobile app, digital marketing, betting odds, responsible gaming , compliance and naturally generative AI to improve efficiency. Veikkaus’s in-house Game Studio was transferred few months ago to Veikkaus subsidiary Fennica Gaming. This strategic PGRI INTERVIEWS PGRI INTRODUCTION: Around the world, policymakers and regulators are sprinting to catch up with an industry that no longer waits. The way games of chance are marketed and delivered to players is shifting at a breathtaking pace—driven by digital platforms, shifting consumer habits, and surging playership. These transformations bring with them urgent public policy questions, particularly around problem gambling, consumer protection, and market integrity. The regulatory questions that arise are not unique to any one country. They echo across borders: How do we articulate public policy before drafting the laws meant to enforce it? How do we safeguard vulnerable players without stifling innovation or individual freedom? How do we preserve market integrity— fairness, stability and equilibrium in a competitive market? How do we enforce the laws and defend regulated systems from the shadow economy of unlicensed illegal operators? These are just a few of the issues that transcend borders and affect jurisdiction all across the world. These are global questions. And to answer them, we look to those jurisdictions that are not just keeping up with change—but helping to shape it. Enter Finland: a nation whose quiet efficiency has often masked its pioneering spirit. In 1996, it became the first country in the world to legalize and regulate online lottery sales, blazing a digital trail that others would follow. Today, Finland—and indeed its Nordic neighbors as well— require player identification for all games of chance, whether online or in retail. Now, in its most sweeping reform to date, Finland is transitioning from a monopoly model to a multi-license system in key product categories, even as it preserves exclusive rights for lottery. The stakes are high, the process is complex—and the implications are global. I have found the reporting on Finland’s regulatory reform helpful but usually leaving me with more questions than understanding. That’s why I’m especially grateful to Olli Sarekoski for taking the time to provide his clear and thoughtful perspective. Olli also articulates how Veikkaus is confronting disruption not as a threat, but as a proving ground for reinvention. His vision is not merely about adapting— it’s about leading; it’s about transforming regulatory overhaul into strategic momentum, and reaffirming the value of a purpose-driven lottery in an increasingly competitive landscape.
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