Online casino law in Finland

Finland is in the last stretch of a gambling monopoly. Until the end of June 2027 one company, the state-owned Veikkaus Oy, holds the exclusive right to run gambling in mainland Finland. From 1 July 2027 a licence system opens online casino, slots, bingo and betting to competing operators. This page explains both regimes from the government's own texts, what each means for you as a player, and where the line sits today.

This is a summary of public sources, not legal advice. When the details matter for a decision, read the statute or ask the authority directly.

The law today: the Veikkaus monopoly

The rules in force today come from the Lotteries Act (Arpajaislaki, 1047/2001). It reserves the running of money games in mainland Finland to Veikkaus. No other company may offer or market casino games, slots or betting to people in mainland Finland, and that includes every offshore brand you will see on our Finnish casino list.

That is the core point for how we write about Finland. Sites licensed in Malta, Estonia, the Isle of Man or Curacao take Finnish players, but none of them holds a permission from the Finnish state. We describe them by the licence they actually hold, for example "licensed in Malta (MGA)", and you can read what each of those regulators does in our guide to casino licences.

Supervision sits with the National Police Board (Poliisihallitus). Its main tool against offshore operators has been the marketing ban: it can prohibit an operator from promoting gambling in Finland and back the order with conditional fines.

Payment blocking since 2023

Since the beginning of 2023, banks and payment service providers must block payments from Finnish players to operators that the National Police Board has banned from marketing. Three things are worth knowing:

• The blocks are operator by operator, from a list the National Police Board publishes. They are not a blanket ban on gambling payments.
• The government's announcement describes blocking payments from players to operators. It does not describe blocking payouts to players.
• The announcement describes no penalty for players. The measure is aimed at operators.

If a deposit to a site fails, the reason may be that the operator is on that list. We will not explain ways around it, and you should not look for them. A brand on the list is one Finland's supervisor has acted against.

What opens on 1 July 2027

In January 2026 the government put forward the new Gambling Act for approval. According to the Ministry of the Interior, most of its provisions enter into force on 1 July 2027. The key points from the government's own release:

• Opened to competition under licences: betting games, online slot and casino games, and online money bingo.
• Kept by Veikkaus: lottery-type games, scratch cards, and physical slot machines and casino games.
• Applications: the National Police Board began taking licence applications on 1 March 2026.
• New authority: from 1 July 2027 the Finnish Supervisory Agency (Lupa- ja valvontavirasto) takes over licensing and supervision, and starts issuing gambling software licences.
• Age limit: 18.
• Stated aim: to prevent and reduce gambling harm and to raise the share of play that goes to the licensed system.

Until that date, Veikkaus keeps its monopoly under the supervision of the National Police Board. A company that has applied for, or even received, a licence for the new system may not offer or market games in Finland before 1 July 2027.

Timeline

Marketing rules in the licensed market

The government release lists what licensed operators may and may not do when advertising:

• Television, radio and newspaper adverts are allowed, and so is non-interactive marketing on the operator's own website or social media.
• Influencer marketing and telephone direct marketing are banned.
• Marketing may not target or feature minors.
• Adverts must state the age limit and point to tools for problem gambling, and (except on radio) name the licence and the supervisory authority.

How the final rules will treat casino bonuses, such as welcome offers and free spins, depends on the detailed provisions and on how the new agency applies them. We will update this page when the agency publishes its guidance rather than guess now.

What this means for you as a player

Playing abroad is not the same as a Finnish permission. An offshore casino's licence comes from its home regulator. That regulator handles complaints and sets the operator's rules on KYC, payouts and fair games. Finland's authorities do not.

Tax depends on where the operator is licensed. The Finnish Tax Administration exempts winnings from games lawfully run in Finland or in another EU/EEA state. Winnings from operators licensed outside the EU/EEA are taxable earned income. Our guide to casino winnings tax in Finland works through both cases with examples.

Bank payments are the norm. Most Finland-facing sites use pay-by-bank services, where you deposit with your online banking credentials. See our guides to Trustly casinos and the Zimpler payment page.

Bonus terms still decide what you keep. Whatever the licence, read the wagering requirement, the max bet and the expiry before you opt in. Our wagering calculator turns a requirement into the amount you have to bet.

What we do and do not say about Finland

Because promoting gambling that has no Finnish permission is something the National Police Board polices, we keep a strict line on /fi/ pages:

• We never call an offshore brand legal, licensed or regulated in Finland.
• We state each site's actual licence and its regulator.
• We describe the tax position only with the EU/EEA condition attached.
• We do not explain how to get around payment blocks or any other restriction.

Getting help

If gambling stops being fun, Peluuri offers free, confidential help by phone and chat for players and the people close to them. You can find its contact details on the Peluuri website and more options on our responsible gambling page. Deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion are available at most operators. Use them before you need them.