Finland Draws 50 Gambling Licence Applications Ahead of Online Market Liberalisation

Finland’s National Police Board has received 50 gambling licence applications as operators position themselves for the country’s transition from a monopoly-based gambling system to a regulated commercial online gambling market.

According to the regulator, there has been considerable interest from gambling companies ahead of the planned launch of the new licensing framework on July 1, 2027. Once the market opens, licensed commercial operators will be permitted to offer sports betting, online casino games, online slot machines, and online money bingo to Finnish consumers.

Companies seeking entry into the market are required to pay a processing fee of €29,000 before their applications can be evaluated. The National Police Board stated that the assessment process is expected to take approximately six months, although applications will be reviewed on a continuous basis and no formal deadline has been established for completion.

Commenting on the process, Juha Katainen, Senior Adviser at the National Police Board, said: “The complexity of processing and evaluating applications is affected by the fact that the majority of applicants are foreign.”

The regulator noted that it may request additional information from applicants during the review process, including documentation relating to their financial standing. It also advised applicants not to contact the authority for updates on the status of their submissions, warning that such enquiries could hinder and slow the overall processing of applications.

The upcoming reform represents a significant transformation of Finland’s gambling industry. While state-owned operator Veikkaus will continue to hold exclusive rights over products such as Lotto, Eurojackpot, and physical slot machines, it will relinquish its monopoly over online betting and casino offerings.

Veikkaus has publicly supported the shift toward a licensed market structure, maintaining that a framework based on commercial regulation and fair competition is necessary to limit the impact and market share of unlicensed gambling operators.

Regulatory oversight of the sector will also undergo changes when the new market framework comes into effect. Responsibility for licensing and supervision will move from the National Police Board to the Finnish Supervisory Agency beginning in July 2027.

Despite the progress made so far, operators continue to await further regulatory clarification in several key areas, including marketing rules and responsible gambling requirements.

Industry consultants expect additional guidance to be released during 2027, while applicants continue preparing internal policies, technical systems, compliance frameworks, and responsible gambling procedures in anticipation of market entry.

Finland’s move toward a licensed online gambling market is regarded as one of the most closely watched regulatory developments in Europe. The volume of licence applications received to date highlights strong commercial interest in the opportunity.

However, industry participants believe that the long-term attractiveness of the market will ultimately depend on the final regulatory framework governing marketing practices, duty-of-care obligations, technical standards, and anti-money laundering requirements.

By fLEXI tEAM