Casino winnings tax in Finland

Finnish players ask one tax question before any other: do I keep the whole win? The answer turns on a single fact about the casino, and it is not the size of the bonus. It is where the operator is registered and licensed. This guide walks through the rule as the Finnish Tax Administration (Vero) states it, with worked examples and a table of the licences you will meet on Finnish casino lists.

This is a summary of Vero's published guidance, not tax advice. Your own case can differ, so check vero.fi or ask the Tax Administration before you file.

The rule: EU/EEA licence or not

Section 85 of the Income Tax Act (tuloverolaki) exempts lottery winnings for the person who wins them. Vero's guidance says the exemption covers two kinds of games:

1. Games that pay Finland's lottery tax, which means games run in Finland by a Finnish operator.
2. Games lawfully run in another EU/EEA state under that state's own law.

For online gambling, Vero spells out the test: the operator must be registered in the EU/EEA and hold any licence that state requires. If the operator is registered outside the EU/EEA and its licence comes from a state outside the EU/EEA, the exemption does not apply.

So "tax-free casino" is only true with the EU/EEA licence condition attached. A Malta- or Estonia-licensed site meets it. A Curacao-, Anjouan- or Isle of Man-licensed site does not, however Finnish its brand name sounds.

Which licences pass the test

Two sites on our list show why the brand is not the test. Noppa and Tuohi are Finnish-language brands licensed on the Isle of Man, which is outside the EU/EEA. Urho holds an MGA licence and Kasarmi an Estonian one. Each fact sheet shows the licence we read on the operator's site and the regulator's register. Our licence guide explains what each regulator checks.

How taxable winnings are taxed

When the exemption does not apply, Vero treats the winnings as earned income (ansiotulo). That means they are added to your salary and other earned income and taxed at your progressive rate. Vero's guidance adds several rules:

• Timing. A win is taxed in the year it is withdrawn, credited to your account or otherwise received. Leaving it in the casino account or playing it again does not delay the tax.
• Losing stakes are not deductible. Vero treats them as living costs. There is no general right to set losses against wins.
• Betting is assessed bet by bet. The stake on the winning bet can be deducted from that win if you can show the link. Estimated or annual-average deductions are not accepted.
• Records. Keep itemised records per bet, with evidence, for five years after the end of the year in which the tax assessment is finished.

Slots: a rule in motion

Vero's 2023 guidance says gross winnings from slot machines and similar games are taxable without any deduction for stakes. In August 2026 the Supreme Administrative Court ruled on deducting stakes in online random-number casinos, and Vero has marked its guidance for update because of that ruling and a separate October 2026 ruling on professional betting. Until the update is published, check the current text on vero.fi before you file a return covering non-EU/EEA slot winnings.

Worked examples

The examples use round numbers to show the method, not your tax rate. Your actual tax depends on your total earned income for the year.

Shared tickets and pooled wins

Vero has a separate statement on wins split between several people, such as a lottery syndicate. The exemption applies to the identified player who bought the ticket and claimed the prize. Since 2024 the same rule covers scratch cards: the win is exempt only for the identified buyer who claimed it. If you pass part of an exempt win on to friends afterwards, that is a gift between people, not a share of the exemption, so agree any split before the draw and keep the agreement.

Who pays lottery tax

On games run in Finland, the organiser pays lottery tax and the prize is exempt income for the winner. That is the first branch of section 85, and it is why Veikkaus wins have never been taxed for players.

Bonuses and the tax rule

A bonus does not change which side of the line you are on. Cash you withdraw from welcome bonuses, wager-free spins or cashback is winnings like any other, so the operator's licence decides how it is treated. What a bonus does change is how much you have to bet before you can withdraw. Read the wagering requirement first, then run the numbers in our wagering calculator.

What changes in July 2027

From 1 July 2027 operators licensed under the new Gambling Act can offer online casino games in Finland, and the lottery tax will apply to them. Winnings from those licensed sites fall under the first branch of section 85. Law firms reading the government proposal expect the EU/EEA branch to be narrowed for operators that target Finland without a licence from the new authority. That narrowing is not yet confirmed in Vero's own guidance, so we do not state it as a rule. Our Finnish online casino law guide covers the reform itself.

Quick checklist

• Find the licence in the casino's footer and confirm it on the regulator's register.
• Malta or Estonia: exempt under section 85.
• Anywhere else: keep records of every winning bet and every withdrawal, and declare the income.
• Paying by bank? Our Trustly casino guide shows which sites use it and under which licence.

If gambling is costing you more than you planned, our responsible gambling page lists free help in Finland.