Finland is poised to introduce a commercial gambling market, as the country’s government proposed at a session this week that the President approves the new gambling act later today.
The new gambling act would see Finland move away from the monopoly of state-owned operator Veikkaus and open sports betting and online casino to competition through a licensing system.
Interested parties can apply for a sports betting and online casino licence from March, with the market launching on 1 July 2027.
However, Veikkaus will still maintain a significant presence in the country’s gambling industry, as the operator will continue to hold exclusive control over Lotto, Eurojackpot and physical slot machines.
The implementation of the commercial gambling licensing and supervision will continue as part of a project led by Finland’s Ministry of Finance, with the Ministry of the Interior set to draft decrees based on the gambling act.
Licensing timeline
Finland’s Parliament voted 158-9 in favour of the new gambling act, placing it on a trajectory for implementation once the President’s signature transforms the bill into a law.
Licensing responsibilities will fall on the National Police Board before regulatory decisions are handed to the Licensing and Supervision Agency in June 2026. The process for B2B licences will begin in July 2027, with a licence becoming a requirement for the market by July the following year.
The gambling age limit will remain at 18 years old, with identification required to verify age, as well as enable self-exclusion, consumption limits and self-monitoring. Player behaviour must be monitored by licence holders with tools provided to prevent gambling harm.
Players can choose to self-exclude via a centralised system covering all licence holders, who must also allow players to self-exclude from specific games or game categories. Accounts will also have gambling operator-specific transfer limits, with players having to set daily and monthly spending limits.
Marketing
As for marketing, advertising on TV, radio and in newspapers is allowed, in addition to a licence holder’s website and social media accounts, so long as it’s not interactive with consumers. However, influencer and direct marketing by phone is not allowed.
Marketing must not target minors, feature anyone under 18, or be present on channels aimed at minors or at sports and other public events intended for minors. There are also restrictions on outdoor marketing, while sponsorship deals can’t be agreed with under-18s, or with events, competitions or leagues aimed at minors.
Information on the gambling age limit and tools to manage gambling-related problems must be included in all marketing materials. Details on the licence and the supervisory authority must also be included in all marketing, except for radio advertising.
Any breaches of the gambling act’s obligations by a licence holder could result in the authority ordering the illegal activities to stop, an administrative fine, a penalty payment for more serious infractions, or the withdrawal of their licence.
Digital marketing limitations
Jari Vähänen, Co-Founder & Partner at The Finnish Gambling Consultants, as well as Hippos ATG Chief Compliance Officer, Antti Koivula, recently expressed concerns over the digital marketing limitations, believing it could create significant issues.
“My concern is that the new rules are fairly permissive for traditional mass media and sponsorships, but very strict for digital marketing. This creates two big problems,” noted Koivula.
“First, it pushes more marketing into mass media that people cannot really avoid, including minors and vulnerable groups. If the goal is to reduce harmful exposure, the logic should be the other way around: stricter limits on mass media, and a controlled but workable space for targeted, age-gated digital marketing.
“Second, digital marketing will not go away by prohibiting it. Affiliates, influencers, social media and other digital marketing channels will still exist. If licensed operators cannot use these channels, unlicensed operators will.
“Expecting these channels to stop targeting Finland is unrealistic unless enforcement becomes very strong, including across borders. And right now, that does not look likely. If legal operators cannot compete where people actually discover brands, channelisation will drop, and all the negative effects will follow.
“Overall, I am extremely worried that the current choices will do the opposite of what the reform is meant to achieve: they will help the black market, increase harm, and reduce channelisation.”
