Veikkaus names six members of new Ethics Advisory Board

Finnish gambling monopoly Veikkaus has named the six new members of its Ethics Advisory Board, who will focus on the ethics of games and their marketing, gaming harm and the social impact of gaming.

The purpose of the advisory board will be to provide an outside view of the company’s board and operative management on gambling activities.

In addition to the Chairperson, the Advisory Committee will be formed of five members, each of which will sit on the board for a period of two years. The Chair will report to the Veikkaus Board at the end of March on the activities of the Council during the previous calendar year.

Pekka Ilmivalta, Executive Vice President, Legal and Responsibility at Veikkaus, commented: “The establishment of an Ethics Board complements the company’s new, broad-based corporate responsibility measures.

“We are investing in developing a safer and more responsible gaming environment, and the Ethics Council outside the company’s operations is an important part of that.”

Saija Kivinen will serve as chair of the board. Kivenen has served as legal counsel for telecommunications company Telia Finland, having previously been the company’s deputy legal counsel.

Habits researcher for the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) Susanna Raisamo, Executive Director of Sosped Lassi Rajamäki, Game Researcher at University of Tampere Mikko Meriläinen, Professor of Sociology at the University of Jyväskylä Terhi-Anna Wilska, and Jani Halme, creative director at marketing and communications company Toinen PHD, will join the advisory board.

The Advisory Board will be authorised to make concrete proposals for solutions, make statements, and provide ethical arguments on practical issues related to gambling and the discussion on gambling. However, it will not resolve individual issues or complaints from outside parties.