Monthly Archives: September 2020

Veikkaus won’t be punished for ‘illegal’ IGT no-bid contract

Finland’s state-run gambling operator Veikkaus has been publicly shamed but won’t face further punishment for handing a lucrative no-bid contract to supplier International Game Technology (IGT).

On Monday, the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (KKV) issued its verdict on the 2018 contract Veikkaus signed with IGT to handle the gambling operator’s online and land-based lottery, sports betting and bingo platforms. The no-bid contract, which was for an initial eight-year period with three four-year options, was reportedly worth “tens of millions of euros.”

Veikkaus attempted to justify the deal by noting that IGT was already a long-term partner, and thus the new pact was “a continuation of an old agreement.” But an external law firm concluded that the deal likely violated government procurement rules, and Veikkaus reportedly attempted to minimize publicity regarding the deal.

The KKV said Monday that it viewed the IGT deal as “illegal,” as there were no exceptions under the Procurement Act that justified the “substantial changes” Veikkaus made to its existing IGT pact. There was also “no legal basis for direct procurement.”

Northern Ireland public seeks gambling advertising ban

Northern Ireland’s gambling liberalization hopes are running into public opposition as the government starts to discuss the right path forward.

This week saw Northern Ireland’s government launch a discussion on how to update the territory’s hopelessly outdated gambling laws. The inquiry by the All Party Group on Reducing Harm Related to Gambling also unveiled new research by Survation into the public’s view of how politicians should act.

The new poll shows only 20% support for the legal gambling status quo, with three-quarters of respondents backing the establishment of an independent gambling regulator. Nearly as many respondents (60%) also want to see a complete ban on all gambling advertising.

Online gambling isn’t currently covered by Northern Ireland’s existing gambling laws, which were crafted in 1985, although the government does little to deter residents from visiting online gambling sites licensed in other jurisdictions.