Veikkaus, the Finnish national gambling operator, announced it will close its slot machines (located in supermarkets, kiosks, gas stations and restaurants) and Gaming Arcades in several regions. The closure process started on Thursday and should be completed by Saturday at the latest. The temporary shutdown should last until mid-December. The company’s online gaming service should continue as normal. 

The decision came after the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health issued new safety guidelines, “the use of different measures, targeted regionally and locally, yet comprehensively and in such a way that the measures support each other, provide the regions with the best Prerequisites for fighting the spreading of the epidemic as a whole.” Veikkaus was quick to react to the new rules to keep the pandemic from spreading.   

Jari Heino, SVP, channels and sales at Veikkaus, said: “No-one knows yet what the situation will look like in three weeks. We are sure that all efforts are made in society to suppress the second wave of this disease.” He added the company will be listening to the specialists and evaluating the situation accordingly. 

Previously, Veikkaus temporarily suspended the gaming service from March to July, also in an attempt to curb the spread of the COVID-19. During the period, the company reportedly lost €10m ($11.9m) per week.