The government has presented the new Finnish Gambling Act to parliament as it moves forward with plans to end Veikkaus’ state-owned monopoly and introduce a competitive regulated gambling market in Finland by 2026. National Coalition Party’s or NCP’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo believes the move would improve player protection while increasing tax revenue from gambling.
On January 1 of the next year, the government hopes to open the window for Finland gambling license applications. Although some suggest that the launch could come earlier, 12 months later, the market would open on January 1, 2027. That would depend on how long it takes for the bill to pass through parliament. While some details may spark debate, many experts believe there is broad support for market liberalization.
The proposal includes plans for a new self-exclusion system. This would allow consumers to self-exclude from all operators. Operators must monitor player activity for signs of problematic behavior. A new licensing and supervision authority will oversee the market.
Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen, while introducing the bill to parliament, stated that the goal is to balance gambling harm prevention with attracting gambling companies to apply for licenses and directing online betting toward regulated operators.
Finland will follow similar moves taken by Denmark and Sweden in 2012 and 2019 respectively through ending its state monopoly on gambling. The move will leave Norway as the last Scandinavian country with a state monopoly on gambling. This remains the preserve of Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto. Focus Gaming News interviewed Tage Pettersen of Høyre last week. He is reasonably confident that the can convince his party to support calls to open the Norweigan market. However, a lot of Norwegain countries have already started campaigning to defend the monopoly of Norsk Tripping.
