Finland’s plans for commercial gambling market submitted to parliament 

The Finnish government has submitted its final proposals for the new, regulated commercial gambling market to parliament ahead of a proposed launch in 2027.

The plans are designed to reform the nation’s gambling laws ahead of the dismantling of its monopoly model, in which state-owned Veikkaus is the only legal operator. 

If the plans are approved, it would end Veikkaus’ monopoly on online betting and igaming, before opening up the market to international operators and spark competition within the market from January 2027. 

The Finnish government first indicated its intention to ditch the monopoly model in April 2023 after launching a research project in January of that year.

Then, in October 2023, the government set about creating the regulations for what a multi-licence market would look like, with draft plans having been published last July.

In November 2024, it was confirmed that horseracing would also move out of the monopoly hold and into the multi-licence commercial market.

Finland had sent the legislation to the EU for approval in November, and although there was contention raised by Malta, the bloc held no concerns over the changes.

All incoming operators are eligible to apply for a licence from January 2026, before successful applicants can launch operations 12 months later.

The government’s plans note that Veikkaus would be required to apply for a commercial online sports betting and igaming licence. The operator will retain its monopoly on land-based and lottery operations.

Under the new plans, revenue would be derived from dividends paid by Veikkaus and its monopoly licence, as well as income tax from licensed sports betting and igaming operators alongside the lottery tax. 

Currently, Finland’s monopoly model is overseen by the National Police Board, which will remain as the authority until the end of 2026, at which time all licensing and supervision would be regulated by the Finnish Supervisory Agency (FSA), expected to launch at the start of next year. 

The proposals state that all operators granted a licence “would need to be reliable organisations suited to the provision of gambling services”. 

The FSA will oversee gambling advertising compliance, with all licence holders expected to submit annual reports to the regulator.

The soon-to-be-formed authority will possess the power to issue fines, as well as clamp down on any illegal activity. 

As outlined in the terms of the draft act’s legislation, gambling advertising will be permitted, subject to certain restrictions. 

All licensed operators would be permitted to market services via their respective website and social media accounts, though influencer marketing would not be allowed to promote specific games, while the plans state that no minors will be targeted or feature in gambling ads. 

Sports teams that boast sponsorships with operators would be allowed to display the company’s branding via their own channels. 

On the responsible gambling (RG) front, the mandatory age limit for all activity will remain 18 and over.

All players will need identification, which will enable the use of gambling blockers, financial limits and self-monitoring, with the new market set to include a self-exclusion scheme .

“This legislative proposal aims to find a regulatory solution for balancing the regulation combating gambling harm with the willingness of gambling operators to apply for a licence, and for shifting online gambling towards a range of regulated games,” said Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen. 

Additionally, the Finnish government has produced a B2B licence regime that will see applications open from January 2027, before granting licensed suppliers access to the market in 2028. 

An annual licence fee will apply to suppliers, though no precise figure was revealed. 

Nearby nations Denmark and Sweden currently have similar systems that combine aspects of a state-owned operator sitting alongside a commercial, competitive market. 

In Norway, the debate regarding whether to scrap its monopoly approach and open the region to international operators continues.