Finland’s Gambling Market Reform — Key Points

Finland is moving to a new regulatory model that will allow licensed operators to offer betting and certain online gambling products, ending the monopoly in these areas from July 2027.

Lottery games, scratchcards, and all land‑based casino and slot machine activities will remain under state control. The new Gambling Act was confirmed by the President of the Republic of Finland on 16 January 2026. Operators have been able to apply for a gambling game licence since the beginning of March 2026. The reform brings Finland closer to regulatory models already adopted elsewhere in Europe and the Nordic region.

Licensing Model and Timeline

• Three types of licences will be available:
  • Exclusive licence, which is restricted to a single operator (in practice Veikkaus Oy)
  • Gambling game licence, which may be granted to a natural person or legal entity
  • Game software licence, which may also be granted to a natural person or legal entity
• An exclusive licence is granted for ten years at a time and a gambling game licence and game software licence for up to five years at a time. It has been possible to apply for a gambling game licence since the beginning of March 2026. Licensed operations may begin in July 2027, when the Finnish Supervisory Agency takes over the supervisory tasks
  • Until the beginning of July 2027, the National Police Board of Finland will act as the relevant authority
• Game software licences can be applied for in January 2027
• From January 2028, licensed operators may only use gambling software provided by holders of a game software licence

Key Compliance Features

Licensed operators will be subject to a comprehensive set of obligations, including:

• Mandatory player identification and age verification (18+)
• Obligation to enable players to voluntarily block their own access to gambling services requiring registration, across all licensed operators
• Ongoing monitoring of player activity to identify and mitigate gambling‑related harm
• Strict rules on advertising and sponsorship, including restrictions limiting marketing to prescribed channels and bans on marketing aimed at or featuring minors
• Robust anti‑money laundering and integrity controls, including independent verification of gambling systems before launch
• Regular reporting to the Finnish Supervisory Agency and payment of annual supervision fees linked to gaming revenue

Failure to comply may result in administrative payments, penalty payments or, in serious cases, loss of the licence.

Looking Ahead

With the legal framework largely in place and the possibility to apply for gambling game licences since the beginning of March, attention now shifts to market entry planning. Operators considering entry into the Finnish market should begin preparations well in advance, particularly in relation to licensing strategy, compliance structures, taxation, technical arrangements, and responsible gaming measures, to ensure readiness ahead of the market opening in July 2027.

For a deep dive into the topic, see our blog series on the gambling reform:

Part I — Licence Model to Be Introduced

Part II — Draft Government Bill Has Been Submitted for Consultation

Part III — How to Apply for a Licence?

Part IV – Which Kind of Marketing Is Allowed?

Part V – Tax Implications & Challenges for Service Providers and Players

Part VI – Sanctions & Dispute Resolution

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.