Finland's gambling market reform - What operators need to know before 2027
Finland's gambling market is going through its biggest transformation in decades. The country is moving from a monopoly model to a competitive licensing system, opening online gambling to private operators for the first time.
The new Gambling Act (Rahapelilaki 10/2026) was signed into law in January 2026. The licence application process officially opened on 1 March 2026, and the regulated market launches on 1 July 2027.
Why Finland is opening the market
For many years, Veikkaus held exclusive rights to online gambling in Finland. The digital era changed that reality, a significant share of Finnish online gambling already takes place on offshore sites outside Finnish regulation.
The reform brings this activity into a supervised system with stronger player protection, clear taxation, and local compliance requirements. The target channelisation rate is around 90%. Under the new model, Veikkaus retains exclusivity over lotteries, scratch cards, and physical slot machines, while online casino games, sports betting, virtual betting, online slots, and electronic bingo move into the competitive licensing system.
A market with real commercial weight
Finland has historically been one of Europe's strongest gambling markets in terms of player spending per capita. Finnish consumers are highly digital, mobile adoption is extremely high, and international brands already have strong recognition among Finnish players.
However, entering Finland successfully requires considerably more than copying a strategy from Sweden or other Nordic markets.
Finland is genuinely unique. The regulatory thinking is thorough, consumer expectations are high, and operators who treat it like a standard European launch may find the market considerably more demanding than expected.
Compliance: What the framework actually requires
Finnish authorities have been clear that supervision will be taken seriously from day one. Key requirements include:
- Annual reporting on financial performance, marketing, responsible gambling, and operational development
- Technical audits - independent lab approvals for gaming systems and RNG verification required before going live
- Connection to the supervisory authority’s monitoring systems
- Gaming systems must be located in Finland by default, however there are several exceptions in here
- Mandatory responsible gambling tools, including deposit limits, self-exclusion tools, and player behaviour monitoring, must be in place before launch.
Operators found in breach face sanctions ranging from penalty fees up to licence revocation.
Advertising rules: What the law actually says
This is where the Finnish framework stands out most clearly for media buyers and publishers. Marketing is permitted, but within a tightly defined ruleset.
- Where gambling can be advertised: operator websites and social media (non-interactive only), TV and radio, sports and public events, print and equivalent digital publications, point-of-sale locations, and search engines for directly related search terms. Outdoor advertising is permitted for lottery and online gambling operators, but placements near schools, pharmacies, healthcare, or substance abuse facilities are banned.
- What is explicitly prohibited: advertising may not portray gambling as glamorous or desirable, normalise it as part of everyday life, suggest it as a solution to financial problems, give misleading impressions of winning odds, exploit inexperience or credulity, or be linked to credit product marketing. Free game offers and most bonus promotions in advertising are also banned.
- Direct marketing requires explicit prior consent. Phone-based direct marketing is banned entirely. Operators cannot market to players with a self-exclusion in place, except in certain cases involving non-excluded products.
- Protecting minors is treated seriously - no gambling advertising in media directed at under-18s, no minors in advertising, and sponsorship agreements involving under-18s or their events are prohibited.
- Every ad must include the permitted age limit, responsible gambling information, and a reference to the operator's licence and supervisory authority.
Finland's advertising framework is among the more restrictive in Europe, but it is not a near-total ban. There is meaningful room for TV, radio, digital, outdoor, and event-based activity, if campaigns are built correctly from the start. It is also worth noting that facilitating non-compliant gambling advertising, including marketing from unlicensed operators targeting Finnish consumers, is itself a regulated activity subject to enforcement.
Read more: Players’ expectations of responsibility set the bar for gaming marketing in Finland
What Happens Next?
The licensing process is now underway as operators prepare for the July 2027 market launch. The National Police Board (Poliisihallitus) oversees the transition phase, with Lupa- ja valvontavirasto taking over as the dedicated supervisory authority from 1 July 2027.
For operators and suppliers, this is the preparation window: technical readiness, compliance architecture, responsible gambling frameworks, and localisation all need to be aligned before the market opens.
The operators most likely to succeed in Finland are those already preparing their technical readiness, compliance architecture, and localisation strategy well ahead of launch.
Finland's reform is the creation of an entirely new market environment, one that combines rigorous Nordic regulatory thinking, strong consumer expectations, and genuine commercial potential. For companies willing to prepare properly, it may become one of the most significant regulated iGaming markets in Europe.
Finnplay has been working with operators navigating this process and continues to support companies building their technical and compliance foundations for the Finnish market.
As the largest media house in Finland, Sanoma is in a unique position to help gaming operators understand the Finnish media user and find the most impactful and responsible advertising environments.
