Finnish Parliament clears final hurdle for iGaming law, set to take effect in January

[The Buzz]

On Tuesday, the Finnish Parliament approved an iGaming reform bill that will dismantle the country’s long-standing gambling monopoly model. The bill, amended by the Parliament’s Administrative Committee, passed decisively by a vote of 158–9.

Earlier in the month, opposition lawmakers had pushed for stricter measures, including tougher marketing restrictions and raising the minimum gambling age from 18 to 20, but MPs rejected these proposals last week.

The new law will come into force in January 2026, with operators able to begin applying for licenses from March 1, according to Jari Vähänen of Finnish Gambling Consultants.

From YLE:

The arrangement would involve issuing licences to international online gaming firms to operate in the country while following local laws, including paying taxes.

However, Veikkaus will retain its monopoly on lottery games as well as scratch cards. It will also continue its slot machine and casino gaming operations.

There will also be restrictions placed on the types of advertising that gambling companies can use. For example, Finland will prohibit social media influencers from taking on gambling ad campaigns. On the other hand, sponsorship deals would be allowed, in the form of gaming company logos on the sponsored-party's channels.

Outdoor advertising of the most addictive games will be banned, including for online versions of slot machines and casino games. Gambling companies will be able to market their brands outdoors, but not near schools.

There will also be rules for gaming firms regarding customers' daily or monthly money transfer limits, as well as temporary player bans.

Read more here: https://yle.fi/a/74-20150819

[Valge]

Worth flagging for anyone with Nordic traffic. Finland started accepting B2C gambling license applications in March 2026, which is a pretty big deal given that they've had a state monopoly through Veikkaus for years.

By early April, they already had 24 applications in, a mix of local operators and international brands. Licenses run 5 years, the application fee is around €29,000, and the tax rate sits at 22% of GGR — similar to Sweden, so not cheap, but it's a high-income market that's been basically locked off until now.

A few things worth knowing for affiliates: crypto is banned, fiat only. BankID-style authentication is mandatory for player access. Mandatory deposit and loss limits from day one. Marketing is allowed but heavily restricted — no aggressive bonuses and nothing targeting minors.

Official market launch isn't until July 2027; it's going to get competitive fast. Expecting that number to roughly double before launch.

Curious if anyone's already looking at this market or has experience with Swedish/Dutch regulatory frameworks that would be comparable.