Europe Betting
Online Casinos in Finland: Gambling Laws & Licensing Guide (2026)
Learn how online casino regulation works in Finland, including the current Veikkaus system, Finland’s new Gambling Act, and the licensed market launching in July 2027.
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Finland is in the middle of a major change to the way online gambling is regulated. The country enacted Gambling Act 10/2026 in January 2026, but the competitive licensing system for internet casino games and betting will not begin until July 1, 2027.
Until then, mainland Finland remains under the existing Veikkaus exclusive-right system. This guide explains the current rules, the new licence model and the safeguards readers will be able to use to identify authorised operators when the regulated market opens. It is general information, not individual legal advice.
Online Gambling in Finland Is Changing
Finland’s gambling reform replaces part of the current monopoly structure with a licensing system. Under the new Gambling Act, internet casino games, online money bingo and various betting products will be opened to licensed competition. Lottery-type games, scratch cards, physical slot machines and physical casino games will remain within an exclusive-licence structure.
The reform was enacted in January 2026, and applications for gambling and exclusive licences opened in March 2026. However, receiving a licence decision during the transition does not allow an operator to start early. The National Police Board’s licence guidance says that providing and marketing gambling services may begin no earlier than July 1, 2027, after the licence has been granted and the required audits and technical integration have been completed.
The Finnish Government’s summary of the reform describes its goals as preventing and reducing gambling-related harm while bringing more gambling activity under Finnish law and supervision.
Can Online Casinos Currently Operate in Finland?
The current rules remain in place throughout the transition. The National Police Board states:
Until the end of June 2027, Veikkaus Oy has the exclusive right to offer and market gambling in mainland Finland.
That means another operator cannot rely on a future licence application, or even a licence decision with a later effective date, to offer or market gambling services to mainland Finland before July 1, 2027. The regulator assesses whether activity targets Finland from the overall impression. Finnish-language marketing is a clear indicator, but English-language material and websites directed at Finnish consumers may also fall within scope.
A licence issued by Malta, the United Kingdom, Curaçao, Kahnawake or another foreign jurisdiction is not a Finnish gambling licence. The National Police Board’s gambling FAQ expressly says that a foreign licence does not create a right to market gambling services in mainland Finland.
Finland’s New Gambling Licensing System
From July 1, 2027, covered gambling services may be provided under either a gambling licence or an exclusive licence. A gambling licence can cover internet casino games and various betting products. An exclusive licence covers categories reserved to a state-controlled company, including lottery-type games and physical casino and slot-machine operations.
A gambling licence can be granted for no more than five years. Holding a licence elsewhere does not produce automatic approval in Finland: the Finnish supervisory authority evaluates each application independently. Applications can be decided during the transition, but the earliest possible effective date is July 1, 2027.
A licence alone is not the final operational step. Before launching, a licence holder must complete the required audits and connect to the supervisory authority’s technical monitoring interfaces. The operator may start only on the effective date stated in its licence decision and after these conditions have been met.
What Happens to Veikkaus?
The reform does not remove every exclusive right. Veikkaus remains the sole operator under the current system through June 30, 2027. After the reform takes effect, a state-controlled company will continue to hold exclusive licences for lottery-type games, scratch cards, physical slot machines and physical casino games.
Internet casino games, online money bingo and various betting products move into the competitive licence framework. A company within the Veikkaus Group may also apply to participate in that licensed market under the same statutory framework.
Gambling Advertising and Affiliate Marketing in Finland
Finland defines gambling marketing broadly. The current definition covers advertising, indirect advertising and other activity intended to raise demand, increase an operator’s visibility or influence its public image. It can include articles, logos, links, offers and other forms of online promotion.
Under the rules applying through June 30, 2027, only Veikkaus may market gambling services in mainland Finland, subject to its own restrictions. The National Police Board says websites that review or list gambling services are not permitted when the activity is partner or affiliate marketing involving compensation connected with gambling generated through links. The restriction can apply even when the publisher is based outside Finland if the marketing targets people in mainland Finland.
Marketing rules will change when the new Act takes effect, but marketing will not become unrestricted. Licensed operators must follow the channels, content rules and player-protection requirements set out in the new law. The scope of any publisher or affiliate activity after July 1, 2027 should be assessed against the law and then-current regulatory guidance rather than assumed in advance.
What Changes on July 1, 2027?
On July 1, 2027, most provisions of the new Gambling Act take effect and Finland’s competitive licensed market can begin. Operators holding the appropriate Finnish licence may then provide and market covered gambling services once their licence is in force and their audits and technical integration are complete.
Licensing and supervision also transfer from the National Police Board to the Finnish Supervisory Agency on that date. From the start of the new system, gambling products may be sold, marketed, brokered or offered for play only by operators holding the required gambling or exclusive licence.
The launch date does not remove the law’s marketing limits. Licence holders remain responsible for compliance with the permitted marketing channels, restrictions designed to protect minors and vulnerable people, and the information requirements attached to regulated gambling.
How to Identify a Licensed Online Casino in Finland
When the new system begins, readers should look for a Finnish licence number rather than relying on an operator’s foreign authorisation. The National Police Board’s consumer guidance says a legitimate operator will display its licence number, the identity of the supervisory authority and the 18+ age limit.
An authorised service must also make responsible-gambling tools and support information easy to find. Game rules, prices, the probability of winning, draw frequency and an assessment of gambling-harm risk must be available, and key information must be provided in Finnish and Swedish.
Gaming.net will update this guide with independently verified Finnish licence information as the regulated market approaches its July 1, 2027 launch. An application or a licence that has not yet entered into force will not be presented as evidence that an operator is already active under the new system.
Player Protection Under the New System
The reform is intended to bring more online gambling under Finnish supervision while strengthening safeguards against harm. The age limit remains 18, and gambling will require identification. Registration and identification support age verification, self-exclusion and the monitoring tools required by the new system.
Licence holders must monitor gambling behaviour and make tools available to reduce harm. These include central and operator-specific self-exclusion options, controls for particular games or game categories, and daily and monthly limits on transfers to a gambling account. Marketing must not target minors or other vulnerable groups.
Gambling involves financial and health risks. Readers can learn more in Gaming.net’s responsible gambling guide. Finland’s Peluuri service also provides information and support for people concerned about their own gambling or someone else’s.
Timeline for Finland’s Gambling Reform
| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| January 2026 | Gambling Act 10/2026 is enacted. |
| March 2026 | Applications open for gambling licences and exclusive licences under the new Act. |
| Through June 30, 2027 | The existing Veikkaus exclusive-right system remains in force in mainland Finland. |
| July 1, 2027 | Most of the new Act takes effect, the licensed market can begin and supervision transfers to the Finnish Supervisory Agency. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Online Casinos Legal in Finland?
Mainland Finland currently operates under the Veikkaus exclusive-right system. Through June 30, 2027, Veikkaus is the only operator permitted to offer and market gambling services targeting mainland Finland. The new licensing system begins on July 1, 2027, when eligible operators may start under Finnish licences that are in force and after satisfying the required regulatory conditions.
When Will Finland’s New Online Casino Market Launch?
The earliest launch date is July 1, 2027. An operator may receive a licence decision earlier, but it cannot provide or market gambling under that licence until the licence is effective and the required audits and supervisory-system integration have been completed.
Can International Casinos Advertise in Finland?
Under the current system, operators other than Veikkaus cannot market gambling services targeting mainland Finland. The restriction can apply to marketing produced abroad and to English-language content when the overall presentation targets people in Finland.
Does an MGA or Other Foreign Licence Make a Casino Licensed in Finland?
No. A foreign authorisation and a Finnish gambling licence are separate. The Finnish supervisory authority evaluates applications independently, and a foreign licence does not by itself authorise marketing or operations targeting mainland Finland.
Can Affiliate Websites Promote Online Casinos in Finland?
Under the rules applying through June 30, 2027, the National Police Board treats compensated partner or affiliate links that promote gambling services as gambling marketing. The position after July 1, 2027 should be assessed under the new Act’s restricted marketing framework and the guidance in force at that time.
Who Regulates Gambling in Finland?
The National Police Board licenses and supervises gambling through June 30, 2027. From July 1, 2027, those responsibilities transfer to the Finnish Supervisory Agency under the new Gambling Act.
Conclusion
Finland is moving from an exclusive-right model toward a licensed online gambling market, but the transition is not complete. Veikkaus retains its exclusive position in mainland Finland through June 30, 2027 while prospective operators prepare for the new system.
From July 1, 2027, appropriately licensed operators will be able to enter the regulated market subject to Finland’s operating, player-protection and marketing requirements. Gaming.net will update this page as licences enter into force and additional regulatory guidance becomes available.
