Veikkaus to resume raffle draws from 1 June

Finnish gambling monopoly Veikkaus has announced that it will resume raffle draws from 1 June, following a month-long suspension.

The operator announced that it would put a halt to the weekly draws, for which tickets can be purchased or won through instant win products, in late April.

This, it said, was in order to focus on continuing to offer its main lottery products during the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

However it continued to sell tickets during this suspension, and will now hold four suspended draws in the first week following the resumption.

Veikkaus’s land-based gaming outlets remain closed as a result of Covid-19, while the Finnish government has cut monthly loss limits to €500. This temporary measure will remain in force until 30 September, to protect players under lockdown from developing gambling problems.

The operator first shut its gaming halls and took its slot machines in retail premises offline from 13 March, and after twice extending the shutdown then announcing that it would continue indefinitely.

As a result, it has furloughed workers at its Casino Helsinki property and the Feel Vegas and Pelaamo arcade chains.

In April Veikkaus revealed that this retail shutdown and the suspension of the most popular sporting events for betting had led to revenue falling 40.6% in the weeks following, with few land-based or sportsbook customers migrating to unaffected verticals such as online casino.