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Sovereign state
Europe
ISO FI
Review due

Finland: gambling regulation and licensing

Republic of Finland

  • Online casinoMonopoly
  • Online sports bettingMonopoly
  • Online pokerMonopoly
  • Online bingoMonopoly
  • iLotteryMonopoly
Regulator
National Police Board, Gambling Administration
Headline tax
Not yet verified
Licence required
Yes
Last verified
30 Aug 2026

Summary

Finland is the next Nordic monopoly to fall. Until 30 June 2027 the Lotteries Act (1047/2001) gives the state-owned Veikkaus Oy the exclusive right to organise gambling in mainland Finland. Parliament adopted a new Gambling Act on 16 December 2025, approved by the President on 16 January 2026, which opens betting, online casino games, online slots and online money bingo to licensed competition from 1 July 2027. Licence applications opened on 1 March 2026 at a fee of EUR 29,000, with B2C and B2B gambling software licences each running up to five years. Veikkaus keeps lottery games, scratch cards and physical slot machines and casino games. Licensing and supervision pass from the National Police Board to the new Finnish Supervisory Agency on 1 July 2027. Note that the Aland Islands regulate gambling separately from mainland Finland. The unusual feature is the split: competition arrives for the products that travel online while Veikkaus keeps lotteries, scratch cards and physical machines. Operators therefore get access to the contested verticals without the monopoly's most reliable revenue, which is the same bargain Sweden struck in 2019.

Key facts

Regulator
National Police Board, Gambling Administration
Regulator type
Government ministry
Headline tax
Not yet verified
Licence required
Yes
Minimum age
18+
Tax base
Under the regime in force to mid-2027 the Lottery Tax Act (552/1992) applies: ICLG 2026 reports gambling operated by Veikkaus taxed at 12 per cent of profit, bingo at 5 per cent of the total winnings distributed and other lotteries at 30 per cent of the total prize value. The tax rate that will apply to licensed operators from 2027 could not be traced to a source we fetched and is deliberately left null here.
Capital
Helsinki
Currency
EUR
Official languages
Finnish, Swedish

Licensing

Licence required
Yes
Application window
Open
Local establishment required
Not yet verified
Local server required
Not yet verified
Barriers to entry
Applications to the National Police Board opened on 1 March 2026 but licensed operations cannot begin until 1 July 2027. Annual supervisory fees are banded by gaming revenue, reported in the range EUR 4,000 to EUR 434,000, with a separate fee for gambling software licences.

Licence types

  • Gambling licence (B2C)

    Scope
    Fixed-odds betting, variable-odds betting, virtual betting, online casino games, online slot machines and online money bingo.
    Term
    Up to 5 years, renewable
    Application fee
    €29,000 as of 4 Aug 2026

  • Gambling software licence (B2B)

    Scope
    Development or supply of gambling software to licensed operators.
    Term
    Up to 5 years, renewable

Taxation

Headline GGR tax
Not yet verified
Effective date
Not yet verified
Tax base
Under the regime in force to mid-2027 the Lottery Tax Act (552/1992) applies: ICLG 2026 reports gambling operated by Veikkaus taxed at 12 per cent of profit, bingo at 5 per cent of the total winnings distributed and other lotteries at 30 per cent of the total prize value. The tax rate that will apply to licensed operators from 2027 could not be traced to a source we fetched and is deliberately left null here.

Compliance

Minimum age
18+
National self-exclusion
Not yet verified
KYC requirements
Not yet verified
Stake limits
Not yet verified

Advertising

Advertising permitted
Yes
Affiliate rules
Affiliates are not separately licensed. Under the monopoly there is no licensed private operator to promote, so affiliate marketing of gambling to Finnish consumers is generally unlawful. That changes when licensing begins under the reformed Act.
Sponsorship rules
Sponsorship by the monopoly operator is marketing and is subject to the same moderation requirement and the same prohibition on directing marketing at minors or vulnerable persons.
Celebrity and influencer rules
Minors and vulnerable persons may not be used in gambling marketing, and marketing may not be directed at them. Influencer promotion of unlicensed operators has been an active enforcement area, with warnings issued over gambling marketing in game streams and on social media.
Social media rules
Social media and game-stream promotion is marketing and is caught by the same rules. This has been the principal enforcement front, with the authorities acting against influencers promoting offshore operators.
Bonus advertising rules
Promotional offers fall within the moderation requirement and must not be used to expand demand beyond what channelling to lawful supply requires.
Penalties for breach
The National Police Board supervises gambling marketing and can prohibit unlawful marketing and impose conditional fines. Marketing unlicensed gambling can also attract criminal liability under the Lotteries Act.

Restrictions

  • Finland currently operates a gambling monopoly, so Veikkaus is the only entity that may market gambling to Finnish consumers.
  • Marketing must be moderate in quantity, scope, visibility and frequency, and must be necessary to direct demand towards gambling conducted under the Lotteries Act.
  • Marketing must not be directed at minors or at otherwise vulnerable persons.
  • Minors and vulnerable persons may not be used in gambling marketing.
  • Marketing of gambling that is not licensed in Finland is unlawful, and the National Police Board has warned influencers over unlawful promotion in game streams and on social media.
  • The reformed Lotteries Act enters into force on 1 July 2027 and opens a licensed market. Under the reform, marketing taken as a whole must be moderate, and the marketing of particularly harmful products such as slot machines will be prohibited.

Outlook

The next 12 months are about the application queue: who files, who clears the fit-and-proper bar, and how the market lines up before the 1 July 2027 opening. The two open questions are the tax rate applied to licensees, which will set the channelisation ceiling, and how the new Supervisory Agency uses its enforcement powers against operators that keep serving Finnish players without a licence during the run-up.

Frequently asked questions

When can operators start offering online gambling in Finland?
Licence applications opened on 1 March 2026, but licensed operations cannot begin until the new Gambling Act takes full effect on 1 July 2027.
What stays with Veikkaus after the reform?
Veikkaus Oy keeps the monopoly on lottery-type games, scratch cards, and physical slot machines and casino games.
How much does a Finnish gambling licence cost to apply for?
The application fee for a gambling licence is EUR 29,000.

iGT coverage of Finland

Swedish Gambling Giant Challenges Veikkaus Monopoly over Fairness Concerns
Regulatory

Swedish Gambling Giant Challenges Veikkaus Monopoly over Fairness Concerns

The conflict highlights the immense tension within the Nordic gambling sector as Finland prepares to dismantle its state monopoly. While Veikkaus maintains its actions are lawful, the investigation by the FCCA will determine whether an incumbent can legally fortify its position against future rivals before the market even opens.

Sources

  1. Gambling

    Finnish Police (Poliisihallitus)

    Tier 1Accessed 4 Aug 2026
  2. Reform of the gambling system

    Ministry of the Interior of Finland

    Tier 1Accessed 4 Aug 2026
  3. Lotteries Act (1047/2001)

    Finlex (Ministry of Justice of Finland) (translated)

    Tier 1Accessed 4 Aug 2026
  4. Finlands Gambling Act Reform: A Practical Guide to the New Licensing Regime

    Borenius Attorneys Ltd

    Tier 3Accessed 4 Aug 2026
  5. Gambling Laws and Regulations 2026 - Finland

    ICLG (International Comparative Legal Guides)

    Tier 3Accessed 4 Aug 2026
  6. Reform of the Lotteries Act aims to combat gambling-related harm more effectively

    Finnish Government

    Tier 1Accessed 30 Aug 2026

Spotted something out of date? Report a correction.

This page is industry reference information and not legal advice.

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