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Rahapelien tietotekninen valvonta EN
Computerised supervision of gambling
Computerised supervision is an important and central means of supervising gambling that today largely takes place online. Systematic, consistent and efficient computerised supervision is a necessary part of the strict and reliable supervision of gambling services, which the European Commission requires in order for Finland to maintain its gambling policy based on exclusive rights.
An official control system has been in use for Veikkaus Oy operated gambling since 1989. The system is constantly being developed. The latest major reform took place in 2020, when the hardware and communication systems of the supervision system were upgraded.
Computerised supervision is mainly based on ex-post monitoring of validity. This means that the details of gambling transactions are transferred to the supervisory authority, i.e. to the Gambling Administration’s computerised official control system.
All data transfers concerning gambling transactions must remain:
- Complete - all gambling event data intended for transfer is transferred without any losses.
- Reliable - uninterrupted data transfer must be ensured.
- Intact - gambling event data intended for transfer does not change during or after the transfer.
This data on gambling events held in the Gambling Administration’s system can be used for example to investigate faults in the games or suspected abuse. If necessary, the supervisory authority may use the data to investigate the functions of online gambling systems and the choices made by players in different gambling situations. With these measures, the supervisory authority aims to ensure the legal rights of players and to prevent any abuses and crimes.
The data transferred to the official control system is also used in certain games to find payouts and to perform other supervisory functions of the official control.
Rahapelitoiminnan valvontajärjestelmään siirrettyä tietoa käytetään myös tietyissä peleissä voitonetsintään ja valvontajärjestelmän automaattisesti tekemään valvontatoimintoon.
In some games the supervision system produces a random number for draws to ensure that no one can predict the outcome of the game or participate in the draw after game has closed.
Tietotekninen valvonta - peliryhmät - EN
The draw of pools, that is, lotteries based on numbers, is carried out using a draw system approved and held in possession by the National Police Board. Veikkaus or any other third party has no access to the draw system. A third party, verified as reliable by the National Police Board, has audited the draw procedure of each game and this audit has verified that the randomness of the draw can be trusted. Randomness means that the draw of a certain number as the result of each draw is just as likely as that of other numbers.
The monitoring system confirms, in arrears, the results and the amount of prizes for each round of the pools. The monitoring system checks that the information on gaming events for each game in Veikkaus’ gaming system and in the National Police Board’s monitoring system are exactly the same. The monitoring system detects any discrepancies automatically, and if any discrepancies emerge, IT control specialists prepare a report on them before any confirmation measures.
For electronic instant tickets (eInstant), the tickets are drawn and shuffled using a procedure approved by the National Police Board: the shuffle key for the picking order of an eInstant created in the lottery system, and the shuffle key for the picking order of prize information, created using the National Police Board’s monitoring system, are combined independently of each other. When a customer buys an eInstant in Veikkaus’ gaming system, the corresponding prize information is automatically requested from the National Police Board’s monitoring system. The visual implementation of the Veikkaus’ gaming system will only start after this, in accordance with the prize information.
The monitoring system is used to verify betting games’ compliance with rules and regulations and to provide the criteria for the monitoring of games, provided by law and decree.
Monitoring checks the amounts of prizes in the games. This means that the betting turnover, rejected coupons and prizes are checked in the game material sealed by monitoring, and the amounts of prizes are calculated. These results are compared with Veikkaus’ calculations of prizes. When the comparison of game materials is in order, the monitoring system confirms the monitoring protocol.
The National Police Board supervises that the information in Veikkaus Oy’s gaming system and in the monitoring system correspond to each other. Whenever any discrepancies are detected in the comparison, IT control specialists prepare a report before any confirmation measures. The reasons for discrepancies include errors in data communications or IT systems, or errors due to manual operations of Veikkaus.
Veikkaus’ toto gaming system performs a search for prizes after the end of each toto game event. After this, all data relating to the toto games’ game events, with time stamps, and verified so that the data has not been changed, is transferred from the gaming system to the National Police Board’s monitoring system. The game event data transferred include:
- The opening hours for the toto game event
- The gaming time
- The races of the toto game event
- Top ups, that is, additional money (unclaimed prizes and roundings) and jackpots (unrealized prize categories)
- Results of toto game race event, absentees and the order of reserve horses
- Participating lines
- Lines returned
- Sum distributed
- Prizes in total
- Roundings of toto game event
- Lines participating only in prize category 1
- Results for various prize categories, prize shares and the bets placed on the winning share
On the day following the reception of game event data, the National Police Board’s monitoring system performs a search for prizes after all toto game events of the game day have been played. The monitoring system compares the calculations carried out by Veikkaus’ gaming system and National Police Board’s monitoring system for the aforementioned items 1–12 and compiles a calculation of prizes that the National Police Board monitors automatically.
The National Police Board supervises that the information in Veikkaus Oy’s gaming system and in the monitoring system correspond to each other. Whenever any discrepancies are detected in the comparison, IT control specialists prepare a report before any confirmation measures. The reasons for discrepancies can include errors in data communications or IT systems, or errors due to manual operations of Veikkaus.
The National Police Board supervises slot machines by means of IT and can, if necessary, check information about the operations of slot machines. Data from slot machine game rounds is transferred to the National Police Boards so that the invariability of the data has been verified. If necessary, the National Police Board can check the final result of each round using the data from slot machine game rounds.
The National Police Board has commissioned an outside verification institution to perform type examinations of the monitoring devices of slot machine money transfers to verify the reliable operation of slot machines’ money transfers.
The gaming material from electronic slot machine games’ gaming system is transferred to the National Police Board’s monitoring system so that the invariability of the data has been verified. Daily checks are performed in the monitoring system to make sure that the National Police Board has received all gaming rounds played.
The gambling game supplier commissions auditing of the random number generator included in the gaming system of electronic slot machine games. The auditing of the random number generator includes assessment of the randomness of the numbers drawn, the distribution of prizes, and the progress of individual gaming rounds, from the formation of random numbers all the way to saving of the result of the game in the gaming system. A report on the audits carried out is submitted to the National Police Board for evaluation. The National Police Board assesses the adequacy of the audits from supervision's point of view.
Based on the audits conducted, the random number generator in the gaming system has been found reliable and it produces mathematically random numbers for the draw.