The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) has warned that Finland’s move to an open gambling market could shift the focus away from harm prevention and toward revenue.
The liberalised system, due to launch in July 2027, will allow operators beyond Veikkaus’ monopoly to enter the market, a change THL says will drive higher advertising and customer acquisition and increase the risk of gambling harm.
THL launches new Self Assessment rule
The authority is aiming to combat increased advertising and gambling exposure by launching new risk limits and a “2-4-2” self-assessment rule designed to encourage players to maintain healthier gambling habits.
The guidance advises spending no more than 2% of net income on gambling, playing on no more than four days per month, and avoiding regular play across more than two game types, as Finland prepares to open its gambling market in July 2027.
THL says the initiative is intended to strengthen harm prevention as advertising and player acquisition are expected to rise under the new licensing system.
Finland’s problem gambling rate has increased from 3% to 4.2% of the adult population, affecting an estimated 151,000 people, while the share of gamblers classified as at risk has climbed to 13% from 10% in 2019. Young adults aged 18–29 are the most vulnerable group, with a problem gambling rate of 6.9%.
Legislation passed last year to expand iGaming sector in Finland
Finland’s parliament approved legislation last month to end the country’s online gambling monopoly, voting in favor of the bill by a margin of 158–9. The vote cleared the way for a licensed iGaming market after years under a single-operator model.
Opposition-backed amendments proposing tougher advertising rules and raising the legal gambling age from 18 to 20 were rejected during the final stages of debate. The bill is awaiting formal sign-off from the Finnish president.
The law will take effect in January 2026, with the licensing process set to open on 1 March, according to industry consultants. The regulated online market is scheduled to go live in July 2027, six months later than originally planned following parliamentary delays.
Despite the extended timeline, operators have begun preparing for competition. Veikkaus is restructuring ahead of liberalisation, while international firms have welcomed the reform, albeit with calls for greater certainty around implementation dates.
Veikkaus to retain its exclusive right to lottery games
Under Finland’s newly liberalised gambling regime, state-owned Veikkaus will see its long-held dominance over the gaming market significantly reshaped.
While Veikkaus will retain exclusive rights to lotteries, scratch cards, land-based casinos and physical slot machines, its monopoly on online betting and casino games will end
Under the new structure, Veikkaus is being reorganised into separate units, one of which will compete directly with private operators on equal terms, including paying the same 22 percent gross gaming revenue tax, and must apply for licences like its rivals.
Veikkaus executives describe the shift as both a challenge and an opportunity. “The new system offers many opportunities for Veikkaus . We have a strong position in Finland and an excellent brand internationally,” Reija Laaksonen, Veikkaus EVP for People, Brand and Communications said to SiGMA News last November.
Illegal gambling on the rise in Finland, 2024 study suggests
The need to establish a regulated gambling landscape in Finland has been on the docket for years. In 2024, a study by the Journal Of Gambling Studies found offshore gambling sites, which are not licensed in Finland, attract Finnish players, thanks to larger bonuses and fewer safeguards compared with domestic sites
In the conclusion of its study, Gambling Motives and Offshore Gambling: A Finnish Population Study, it said: “Offshore gambling poses a heightened risk for problem gambling especially for young men with impulsive and risky behavior. The most common reasons for choosing offshore gambling sites were larger game supply and game features implicating that some gamblers are not satisfied with the onshore game supply.”
As Finland moves closer to opening its gambling market, regulators face mounting pressure to ensure consumer protection keeps pace with commercial growth.
With problem gambling already rising and offshore operators continuing to draw Finnish players, the balance between channeling demand into a regulated system and preventing harm will be closely scrutinized. How effectively that balance is struck may determine whether liberalisation delivers on its promise, or exacerbates the very risks lawmakers say they are trying to contain
