Online gambling in Finland
Background
With an estimated 40% of Finns gambling weekly and the local ambling market said to be worth EUR 2.2 billion Finland has since the inception of online gambling been a popular target market for operators. But it’s also a market that the government has been very keen to protect from foreign operators.
To this day the government has imposed restrictions on foreign operators from advertising while aggressively marketing their government run local monopoly, Veikkaus Oy. It’s an approach that has drawn the ire of the European Commission who have in the past launched infringement proceedings against Finland on the basis that their online gambling laws were protectionist in nature and in breach of EU freedom of services principles.
Finland have defended their state monopoly system arguing it is the most effective way to control and limit gambling activities to prevent associated social harms.
Faced with EU pressure to reform, there were proposals at one point to ban advertising for all forms of gambling – including that of the local monopoly operator. More recently the Finnish authorities have indicated that they will follow other EU members down the path of opening and regulating their market.
The Finnish Ministry of the Interior website currently states that:
“According to the Government Programme, the Government will reform the gambling system and open it to competition using a licence model by 1 January 2026 at the latest.”
One of the stated aims of the reforms: “to improve the channelling rate of the gambling system“. This is a concession that presently many Finnish players are probably gambling at websites other than Veikkaus Oy.
Suomalainen Ruletti with Finnish dealers, offered at Unibet
Current Regulations
Changes to current gambling laws are imminent, but the current framework, very briefly is as follows:
- Governing law: Lotteries Act (Arpajaislaki).
- Regulator:
The Finnish Ministry of the Interior oversees the regulation of gambling activities. The National Police Board supervises and ensures compliance with the laws. The NPB can issue orders to ISPs to block access to unlicensed gambling websites. In February 2024 Betsson became the first MGA-licensed operator to appear on the NPB blacklist. - Single licensed operator:
Veikkaus Oy, which offers a wide range of gambling products, including lotteries, sports betting, online casino games. Marketing of gambling games other than those run by Veikkaus Oy is prohibited.
Best live casinos for Finnish players
Until recently Veikkaus Oy did not offer live dealer games. This changed in December 2024 when Playtech was selected as Veikkaus’ first live games supplier. As part of the offering, exclusive Veikkaus-branded blackjack and roulette tables will be made available as well as a selection of Playtech’s generic live tables.
Other casinos welcoming Finnish players and offering a wider selection of live games include:
