Finland Approves Initial Private Gambling Licences Ahead of July 2027 Online Market Opening
Finland opens online gambling to private operators on 1 July 2027 after applications began in March 2026. The National Police Board is issuing licences while Veikkaus keeps land-based monopoly rights; market GGR is €1.9bn with 50% channelisation. iGaming Business tracks all approvals.
SCCG Take — Operators must secure licences promptly to access this high per-capita market before the Supervisory Agency assumes control. The drop in channelisation highlights the need to convert grey-market activity.
Finland is preparing to end its state-owned gambling monopoly for online services on 1 July 2027. From that date, licensed private operators will be permitted to offer online gambling in the country. The National Police Board, which handles licence applications that opened in March 2026, has begun announcing approvals.
iGaming Business has compiled and maintains a verified list of these approved Finnish gambling licences, including details on the companies where available. The development marks a structured shift from the current model under which Veikkaus holds exclusive rights across all gambling forms.
Liberalisation Scope and Transition
Under the updated framework, Veikkaus will compete directly with private operators in online gambling but will retain its monopoly on land-based gaming machines, lottery and scratch cards. Regulatory oversight will move from the National Police Board to a new Supervisory Agency once the market opens. European operators, lawyers and experts have told iGB they are broadly satisfied with the new regime.
Several major operators have signalled substantial market intentions. Wildz Group, which secured its first licence in October, plans to launch 11 brands in Finland and submit applications for several additional licences.
Market Metrics and Supplier Rules
Finland records one of the world's highest per-capita gambling rates. The total estimated market GGR stands at €1.9 billion in 2026, per H2 Gambling Capital data. Veikkaus posted €931 million GGR in 2025, sharply lower than €1.8 billion in 2017. The current channelisation rate is estimated at around 50%, down from as high as 90% a decade ago. A sizeable grey market persists because operators may supply services without targeted marketing to Finnish customers.
Operators will initially select B2B suppliers freely if compliant with the Gambling Act. From 1 July 2028, however, B2B providers must hold a separate licence from the Supervisory Agency. The application window for those supplier licences opens in July 2027.
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