Finland's Ministry of the Interior has sent the government a long-awaited draft law on the licensing of bookmakers, online slot machines and casinos, proposing that licensees would begin operating from the beginning of 2027. According to a statement from the ministry on July 3, the new system will be introduced in stages, with the next step being the submission of a proposal to parliament in the spring session of 2025.
The ministry has also opened a public consultation on the proposal, with submissions due to close on 18 August.
Veikkaus' current monopoly will last until the end of 2026, with operators allowed to apply for licences in early 2026. The ministry had previously planned to launch the market in January 2026, but stakeholders had long feared that the start of licensing could be delayed as a result of wider political upheaval in Finland.
From 2026, Veikkaus will retain a monopoly only on certain products, such as lottery games and scratch cards, and the Finnish Council of State, the country's executive branch and cabinet, will decide on the annual fee the company will pay for the exclusive licence.
A separate company within the same group will be established for Veikkaus' operations that are not covered by the exclusive licence. Finland will have the right to sell part of its stake in the company "if this is deemed justified in the future from the perspective of developing the state's shareholder value," the ministry said in a statement.
Under the proposal, gambling software providers would also need a licence, but they would not be able to apply for one until early 2027. This means operators would not be required to use only licensed providers until 2028.
Licensees will also be able to advertise, but “the amount, volume, visibility and frequency of marketing must be moderate and necessary to direct gambling demand to the licensed gambling activity,” according to the Ministry of the Interior. In turn, advertising of gambling games with a high risk of causing harm from foreign operators will be prohibited. Physical ATMs and casino games, the ownership of which Finland retains in Veikkaus, must not be advertised at all.
The new Licensing and Control Agency (LCA), under the Treasury, will take over gambling supervision from the National Police Agency. The LCA will be able to issue fines, revoke licences, conduct test purchases, enforce money laundering rules, and block websites and prohibit payments to unlicensed operators. The legislation also proposes to create a new national self-exclusion system.
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