Frequently asked questions about gambling

Firstly, you should contact Veikkaus Oy’s customer service and try to claim your winnings again. The winnings from a scratch card must be claimed before the date noted on the card. If you cannot claim your winnings despite actively trying, you can apply for a recommended decision from the National Police Board.

If you have purchased the scratch card on 1 January 2024 or after this, only you can claim the potential winnings.

You can send a photo or a copy of the scratch card to us either by email or by post. The photo or the copy must show both sides of the scratch card, and the number codes, patterns and texts of the scratch card must be clearly visible.

Unfortunately, you cannot. The winnings of a scratch card are only paid in exchange for the scratch card.

If the identification information of the scratchcard, i.e. the series of numbers in the scratch card, are still readable, small tears and similar should not prevent you from claiming your winnings. However, if the identification information is no longer readable, the scratch card is null and void.

First, contact Veikkaus Oy’s customer service. If the issue is not cleared up, submit a request for a recommended decision to the National Police Board.

Ask the salesperson for a receipt and contact Veikkaus Oy’s customer service. If necessary, you can also apply for a recommended decision from the National Police Board.

Please note that factors such as the appearance of the ticket, the way it has been scratched or the player’s own interpretation of the result do not determine if it is a winning scratch- card. The scratch card winnings have been raffled in advance. This means that things such as the order in which the card is scratched does not have an effect on winnings.

Information on whether a certain scratch card has a win is in the gaming system of the company that printed the scratch cards. If the information about a win shown on the scratch card does not correspond to the data of the company that printed the scratch cards, the company data will be applied.

First, contact the customer service of Veikkaus Oy. If necessary, you can also apply for a recommended decision from the National Police Board.

Please note that the appearance of the ticket or its method of implementation do not determine whether it is a winning ticket. The scratchcard winnings have been raffled in advance. The animation of the ticket or the play order, such as the order of opening the ‘doors’, do not have any effect on winning.

Online lottery tickets may sometimes have ‘visual performance errors’. This means that the ticket states that you have won, even if the ticket is not actually a winning ticket. Information on whether a certain lottery ticket has a win is in the information system of the company that printed the tickets. If the information about a win shown on the online lottery ticket does not correspond to the data in the gambling company’s information system, the company data will be applied.

An unpaid game is not valid, so you cannot claim a win.
The National Police Board also cannot give a recommended decision regarding reminder messages related to the balance of player accounts. 

If you verified your identity when playing, the information is primarily available in electronic format. However, you should hold onto the game coupon. If necessary, you can send in a photograph or a printed copy of your coupon, which clearly shows both sides of the coupon as well as all text and other markings. 

If you bought your game through a game point, the salesperson may be able to void your coupon if you bring the matter up quickly enough. Remember to check your game coupon right after purchasing it and inform the salesperson immediately if you notice an issue.

If you are playing online, the coupon will come into force as soon as you have paid for it. In this situation, changing the game retroactively is not possible.

If you bought the same game several times due to no fault of your own, for example, because of a technical error, you can apply for a recommended decision.

You should primarily contact Veikkaus Oy’s customer service. You can also apply for a recommended decision from the National Police Board.

In rare occasions, slot machines may have ‘visual errors’. Visual error refers to a situation where the information on the slot machine screen does not correspond to the information of the lottery device or the game system. In such cases, the screen of the slot machine may show a wrong number for winnings, free games or booked games, or a wrong raffle result, such as a wrong combination of symbols or hand of cards.

These visual error situations are luckily very rare. The unfortunate thing is that the player can get the impression that they are about to have a much bigger payout, for example. According to the rule of play, however, the information in the lottery device or the game system is decisive. In these visual error situations, the player is compensated for the true sum of winnings or number of free games or reserved games, as shown in the lottery device or the game system.

If you are uncertain whether the game you are playing is functioning correctly, first contact Veikkaus Oy’s customer service. You can also apply for a recommended decision from the National Police Board.

You should primarily contact Veikkaus Oy’s customer service. If it is possible to check the information of the lottery device or the game system to see the status of the game before the error and the interruption, you may be compensated. According to the game rules, e.g. the winnings, free games or game reservations accumulated by the time the game was interrupted may be compensated to you.

It is also possible to be compensated for a ‘certain win’ if the accrued date before the interruption of the game proves that a win was on its way. In such cases, the smallest possible winning combination or payout the player could have received will be calculated as compensation based on the rules of the game. However, the compensation is always at least the sum of the bet set for the game round in question.

You can also apply for a recommended decision from the National Police Board.
 

In certain rare cases, the game may have a ‘visual error’. A visual error occurs when the payout information on the screen does not correspond to the data saved in the game system. In other words, a win seems to appear on the screen, but the data saved in the game system shows that the player did not win.

Information about online gaming events is saved both in the gambling company’s game system and the information system of the supervisory body. In the case of a visual error, the payout will be paid based on the information in the game system. If the information in the company’s game system differs from that in the information system of the supervisory body, the data in the supervisory body’s system will be decisive.

You can also apply for a recommended decision from the National Police Board.

Contact Veikkaus Oy’s customer service. If you cannot finish your game round even after this, you can be compensated for the wins, free games and game reservations you accumulated up until the interruption. If you disagree with the compensated sum, for example, you can apply for a recommended decision from the National Police Board, if you wish.

First, contact Veikkaus Oy’s customer service and tell them about the game freezing. If you cannot finish the game round, you may receive the free games you had accumulated before the game froze as a compensation.

Free games are compensated by multiplying the number of lost free games with the bet you had placed for the game round.

The payout percentage refers to the share of the winnings returned to the players as payouts. In practice, the payout happens over hundreds of thousands or millions of game rounds so that the players will, on average, receive the payout percentage determined as winnings.

The payout percentage is not reflected in the losses or wins of individual players during a single game session; the return can vary a great deal from the average return, in one direction or the other. The shorter the session, the more variation there can be.

The game information from Veikkaus Oy’s online casino is transferred to the National Police Board in a way that ensures their integrity. This means that the National Police Board has the data on all game rounds played. The game systems and the randomness generated by them are also audited by an independent auditing body.

The National Police Board also supervises that the theoretical payout percentage of gambling games is met and that the games work as intended.

Players take part in the Vakio sports betting based on the list of targets or the data in the company’s game system. If there is a conflict between these two sets of data, the data in the company’s game system will have the priority.

After receiving the game receipt, check the contents before leaving the point of sale. If there are any issues, let the salesperson know right away.
According to the game rules, the player is responsible for checking their game receipt. The National Police Board cannot later review in what way the player intended to play their game.
 

If you bought your game through a game point, the salesperson may be able to void your coupon if you bring the matter up quickly enough. Remember to check your game coupon right after purchasing it and inform the salesperson immediately if you notice an issue.

If you played at Veikkaus Oy’s online casino or with an app, your game became valid right away. The content of the coupon cannot be changed in this case.

The player is always responsible for checking their game. The National Police Board cannot verify later which way the customer intended to play the game.

In betting games, multipliers are defined for the different result options based on how likely the result is assessed to be. Sometimes, an error may occur when determining a multiplier, for example, due to a technical or human error.

Unfortunately, it is sometimes possible that the player will not become aware of the multiplier’s obvious error or the player cannot assess whether an error has occurred. The rules of play of a betting game determine actions in situations when the result options or multipliers of Pitkäveto betting target have an obvious error. According to the rules of play, the multiplier one (1.00) should be applied to game options or games that have been played with the incorrect multiplier. 

The question of whether a multiplier has been incorrect is always assessed case by case. No single correct value can be determined for the multiplier, but if it is, by objective assessment, clearly incorrect, the multiplier will be changed to one (1.00) and the payout will be changed to reflect this. The assessment considers factors such as the multipliers of other betting targets/result options of the same target match.

In most cases, your Pitkäveto bets are only accepted before the match you are betting on has started. An exception to this are the Live bets that can also be played during the match in question.

Usually in Pitkäveto, the betting target is closed before the target match starts, but in some cases the bets may go through even after the match has started, for example, due to a technical error. In these cases, the game agreement has not come into force according to betting rules, and the company must return the bet to the player.

A determined target of a bet is considered incorrect if its data does not correspond to the actual betting target. An example of an incorrectly determined betting target is a wrong team named as the target team. According to the betting game rules, a multiplier of one (1.00) will be applied to games with incorrectly determined betting targets. 

Yes, they can.

In gambling games, the payout is initiated based on the betting result entitling you to the win. A betting result entitling you to a win may be result of the organiser of the target match/competition has told Veikkaus Oy or the result the organiser has published on their own Internet page, for example.

If the betting result that triggered the payout is changed within 12 hours of the original payout, Veikkaus Oy will also adjust the payout in addition to the betting result. In accordance with the rules of play of betting games, these adjustments must be made without delay, at the latest within 72 hours after the first payout of the betting target.

In the example situation mentioned in the question, the payout was originally done based on the data available at the time, and the player only learned that they were not entitled to the win the next day.

Understandably, this is an annoying situation for the player, but as the betting result was changed within 12 hours and the 72-hour time limit was not exceeded, the betting result can be corrected and the original payouts claimed back.

Toto horse racing bets can only be accepted before the race has started. In certain situations, the target game may have been left open by mistake or the bet has been accepted due to a technical error even after the race has started.

According to the rules of Toto, the game agreement between the player and the company comes into force when the game fee has been paid and the game information in the Toto system has been sealed by the supervisory body’s information system. Sealed game information refers to information that has been electronically signed by the supervisory body’s information system.

If the bet has been placed after the betting target has started or if the game information has not been transferred to the supervisory body’s information system before the race starts, Veikkaus Oy will return the bet to the player.

Yes, you can. As a player, you must set daily and monthly transfer limits to your player account. This means that you decide how much money you can transfer from your bank account to your player account during one day and one month. You can also change the transfer limits you have set.

Please note that your player account cannot have more than €20,000 at a time.

No, you cannot. A player cannot transfer money to their player account between midnight and 6 am.

A loss limit refers to the maximum sum of money you are willing to lose. You can set your own loss limit, which allows you to control your gambling. In fast-paced games, the daily loss limit is a maximum of €500 and the monthly loss limit €2,000. After the loss limit has been reached, you can no longer continue to gamble. On the other hand, potential wins also affect the loss limits: If you win in the game, your wins increase the available sum of money.

According to the game rules, the player must set daily and monthly loss limits for all fast-paced games. Fast-paced games refer to eBingo, Tähdenlento raffle, electronic scratchcards and the casino and slot machine games of the online casino.

The loss limit is not used in player-vs-player online casino games. 
If necessary, you can adjust the loss limits you have set. If you wish, you can also set loss limits to playing slot machine games, for example.

No, they do not. If you want to set gambling limits for yourself also at the casino, ask the casino staff to help you. It is possible to set separate limits for a casino that are only valid when playing the casino games. If you wish, you can set a purchase limit for the casino’s table games, defining a maximum sum for playing the games during one day.  Gaming time and loss limits can be set for the slot machine games. 

Annual loss limit is the maximum sum you will be able to lose during one calendar year. The annual loss limit is €15,000, and it is valid for all Veikkaus Oy gambling games, excluding the slot machine and table games at game casinos.

All online Veikkaus Oy casino games have a time reminder for the gaming time, which notifies the player of the time spent playing once every hour. After the notification appears on the screen, the player must choose whether to continue playing or sign out of the game service.

Only online casino games played against other players are an exception to this, and the player does not have to choose between continuing the game and signing out in these games.

Physical slot machines also have mandatory game time reminders, which show a reminder of the time spent on the game every 15 minutes.

Players can help prevent the harmful effects of gambling by limiting their own gambling through the different sales channels of Veikkaus Oy. For example, you can block:

• all gambling. The player can block gaming until further notice or for a fixed period of time.
• all online gambling. The player can block gaming until further notice or for a fixed period of time. A block set until further notice will remain valid for at least one year.
• all slot machine games. The player can block gaming until further notice or for a fixed period of time. 
• coupon games in all the different channels, based on the game or game group. The block will remain valid for the period of time set by the player, but a maximum of one year at a time. 
• certain online games. The player can block certain games or game groups. The block will remain valid for the period of time set by the player, but a maximum of one year at a time.

Please note that the limits to game casinos are set in different way than other gaming blocks. For now, you can only set these limitations in person at the game casino. You can request Veikkaus Oy to ban your entry to the casino or set up limits for you. The ban or limit can be for a certain time or valid until further notice. A fixed-term ban or limit is valid at least one month and at most one year.

Depending on the form of the limit or block, you can set these up through Veikkaus Oy’s online service, with Veikkaus Oy’s mobile app; at the slot machines, by visiting Veikkaus Oy’s customer service, or via the staff of the game hall or casino. Find out more at www.veikkaus.fi. If you want to ban yourself from entering the game halls or casinos, you can agree on this with the location’s personnel.

All online Veikkaus Oy games have a visible button available for the player to use, which quickly puts a stop to playing. This is called the “prevent playing” button. Pressing this button prevents the player from buying the online Veikkaus Oy games until the end of the following day.

Physical slot machine games also have the “prevent playing” button, which works the same way as in the online games.

Pressing the “prevent playing” button at a casino prevents playing the slot machine games and table games until the casino closes.

Veikkaus Oy’s customers may monitor their gaming through the summary of their player account. The summary has all the games they have played while signed in, all the wins, losses, payout percentages and money transfers, regardless of whether the game was played through the online service, at a physical location or with the app. The player account summary allows you to review your own monthly gaming history over the past 12 months or per calendar year over the past three years. 

Gambling is only allowed for people aged 18 and over.

According to the Lotteries Act, Veikkaus Oy must register a player, open a player account for them and make sure that the player can only play gambling games when they are confirmed to be a registered user of Veikkaus Oy. The registration is necessary to ensure that the limits set for playing are kept, for example.

No, you cannot, as gambling games requiring the verification of identity can only be played by people with permanent addresses in mainland Finland who have been registered as customers of Veikkaus Oy.

Only games available at a game casino are an exception to this rule. You can play at a casino even if you live abroad. However, playing at a casino still requires confirming your identity, both for entrance and playing.

No. Your gambling account is personal, and you can only play gambling games on your own account when you are logged in as the registered player.

In accordance with the Lotteries Act,‘marketing’ refers to all marketing, indirect marketing and other sales promotion activity. For example, the use of the logo of a gambling company or a gambling service when advertising another product may constitute indirect advertising.

Prohibited marketing includes, for example, the use of hashtags referring to a gambling company, showing the logo of a gambling company or other promotional activity of gambling services. Commercial cooperation with a gambling company can also meet the definition of marketing in the Lotteries Act.

Only Veikkaus Oy is allowed to market itself and its gambling services, subject to the restrictions of the Lotteries Act. All other marketing of gambling services, or such marketing by others, is prohibited in Mainland Finland.

Marketing is considered to target Finland, if it aims to promote the participation of customers in Finland in gambling services. A crucial aspect in the assessment is the overall impression of marketing. For example, the Finnish language used in marketing indicates that marketing is targeted at Finland. It should be noted, however, that marketing carried out in English might also target Finland, as English is a commonly known language in Finland.

Marketing targeting Finland includes marketing gambling services at events held in Finland, marketing carried out in websites targeted at Finnish consumers, and social media marketing targeted at Finnish audience. A common way to target marketing at Finland is to use expressions, symbols and persons known by Finnish consumers.

No, it is not. Marketing gambling services on your own social media channels is prohibited by the Lotteries Act. Only Veikkaus Oy is allowed to market in social media, subject to certain restrictions. Veikkaus Oy can carry out influencer marketing only on Veikkaus Oy’s own social media channels and websites. It is not allowed to use the social media channels of influencers, collaboration partners, specialists or content providers in Veikkaus Oy’s marketing.

No, they are not. Partner or affiliate marketing is subject to the same rules as other marketing of gambling services. Usually, the administrator of an affiliate site gets some compensation for games played via a link on the site, and other similar type of cooperation is used, which is why such activities are considered as marketing in violation of the Lotteries Act.

No, it is not. Marketing gambling services is prohibited, regardless of the place of residence or the country, if marketing is targeted at Mainland Finland or those living in Mainland Finland. National Police Board can intervene in marketing of gambling services even if the marketer lives abroad.

No, it is not. Changing the language cannot be used to evade the marketing prohibition laid down in the Lotteries Act.

No, it is not. A foreign gambling licence does not entitle the holder to market gambling services in Mainland Finland. Furthermore, operating a gambling website under a foreign domain name or, for example, running or managing the site’s servers from abroad is not sufficient to legally market gambling services in Mainland Finland.

Only Veikkaus Oy is allowed to market gambling services in Mainland Finland. For other operators, it is prohibited to market gambling services targeted at Mainland Finland. This also applies to direct marketing. If someone other than Veikkaus Oy carries out direct marketing targeted at you, you can report it by email at arpajaishallinto@poliisi.fi and provide as accurate information as possible with possible attachments.

If you think that an operator has collected or processed your personal information in violation of EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or national law without your consent, you can contact the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman.

Disclosure of name and address information from the Population Information System can be prohibited using an identity card or online banking credentials in Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s ‘Check your register data’ service or by notifying Digital and Population Data Services Agency of the matter by phone or letter. See instructions on their website (in Finnish).

You can prohibit the disclosure of your address and submit a marketing restriction by contacting Traficom electronically or by phone.

 You can try to contact the customer service of the online casino to prohibit direct marketing. It is not recommended to click on the “unsubscribe from list”, “stop”, “unsubscribe” or similar links in marketing communications due to the risk of malware or phishing.

You can contact your own telephone operator and notify them of the gambling marketing targeted at your own telephone subscription.