HELSINKI – Finland has received 50 applications from operators seeking business‑to‑consumer online gambling licenses as the country prepares to open its regulated iGaming market on July 1, 2027, the National Police Board said Monday.
The launch will end Veikkaus’ long‑standing monopoly and allow private companies — many of them foreign — to compete in Finland’s online betting and casino sector for the first time. The application window opened March 1, 2026, and carries a processing fee of €28,979 ($33,500).
“The reliability and suitability of the applicants will be evaluated on the basis of documents, such as register extracts, certificates and various reports,” said Juha Katainen, a senior adviser at the National Police Board, which will serve as the market’s primary regulator.
Majority of Applicants Based Outside Finland
There is no formal deadline for submitting applications, but regulators estimate that each review will take roughly six months. Katainen said the process is more complex because most applicants are foreign companies.
The National Police Board, which oversees policing nationwide, also functions as Finland’s gambling enforcement authority.
Channelization a Key Objective
Finland is following Sweden and Denmark in shifting from a monopoly model to a licensing system aimed at bringing offshore operators into a regulated environment. The new Gambling Act establishes a framework focused on licensing, supervision, responsible gambling and channelization — steering players toward legal operators and away from unregulated sites.
Licensed operators will pay a 22% tax on gross gaming revenue.
Finland, a country of 5.6 million with a strong betting culture around soccer, hockey and Formula 1, is expected to generate $1.37 billion in gross gaming revenue in 2027, rising to $1.7 billion by 2029, according to industry supplier Finnplay.
