Veikkaus, the Finnish state-owned gambling monopoly, is preparing to make major changes before its operations are divided into three distinct units. This includes the layoff of approximately 185-215 employees out of its 825 total workforce. Additionally, around 110-150 employees will experience changes in their employment terms.
One significant change announced by Veikkaus is the closure of Casino Tampere on December 9th, just two years after its opening. Additionally, 19 other gaming arcades will shut down on December 22nd.
As part of the restructuring, Veikkaus will be divided into three operational units, each to be led by a senior vice-president. This includes domestic games of chance, slot machines, and arcades led by Nora Vähävirta, domestic online casino and betting operations led by Jarkko Nordlund, and international business operations led by Jonas Reuter.
Despite the significant staff reductions, the layoffs are not as severe as initially anticipated when restructuring talks began in September. Heli Lallukka, executive vice-president of human resources at Veikkaus, stated that the final figures were reached following constructive dialogue with personnel representatives. Lallukka also mentioned that Veikkaus plans to make significant investments in the future to strengthen their competitiveness and secure top-level professionalism.
In addition to the staff layoffs, Veikkaus is also closing 65 gaming venues, including the Casino Tampere and various Playhouse-branded venues, and game arcades.
This restructuring comes as the Finnish government announced plans to end Veikkaus’ gambling monopoly by 2026. This would allow private companies to apply for licenses to operate sports betting and online casinos, while Veikkaus retains its monopoly status for lottery and retail slot machines. This major shift in the industry marks the end of Veikkaus’ monopoly model in Finland.