Finland’s gambling bill will be put forward for parliamentary debate later this week, but widely-feared delays to the market’s commercial licensing regulation could be on the horizon.
The country’s Administrative Committee submitted its report on the government’s gambling legislation proposal, requesting its approval with observations and proposed amendments, which included a six-month postponement to its implementation, entering into force on 1 July 2027.
The delay was one of a myriad of changes to the country’s gambling bill, as its implementation faces friction ahead of a touted 2027 timeline.
During this delay, the committee stated the gambling industry supervision would transfer from the National Police Board to the Licensing and Supervision Agency. It has also been proposed that the licensing procedure and the compensation paid to the state for the exclusive license and certain other provisions enter into force on 1 March 2026.
With the delay, the committee is also asking for the application of the provisions concerning gaming software licenses to be postponed by half a year, “so that licenses can be applied for from 1 July 2027 and from 1 July 2028, holders of exclusive and gambling licenses may only use the gaming software of the gaming software license holder”.
The committee has also called for monitoring once the gambling act is implemented to help prevent and reduce gambling-related harm, as well as monitor other potential development needs such as implementation and marketing, payment and network traffic blockages, prohibitions on gambling outside the system and the prevention of competition manipulation.
Four statements in connection with the adoption of the legislative proposals have been outlined by the committee for adoption, which would require the government to:
- Investigate the possibilities of a system based on a gambling ban register, in which a player could set a centralised loss limit for himself that applies to all gambling providers.
- Monitor the development of the channelling rate and gambling problems and ensure the operational conditions and resources for official supervision of the system and work to combat gambling problems.
- Monitor the effects of the reform on the operating conditions of the horse industry from the beginning of the transition period and, if necessary, take immediate measures to secure the future of the industry.
- Investigate the possibilities of giving scratch cards as gifts without delay and take any necessary legislative measures.
A plenary session of Parliament will take place on 10 December, where the gambling bill and the report from the administrative committee will be discussed.
Dissenting opinion
While the delay has been proposed and will be debated later this week, Antti Koivula, Chief Compliance Officer for Hippos ATG, has summarised parts of the proposals as “the dissenting opinion submitted by opposition parties (the Greens and the Left Alliance)”.
In a LinkedIn post, Koivula said: “The proposed modifications include raising the gambling age limit to 20, requiring strong two-factor authentication at every single login, banning bonuses entirely, introducing centrally shared deposit and loss limits across all operators, enabling the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health to further tighten the duty of care by decree, and including tobacco style warnings in gambling marketing.
“That’s not all. Not even close.
“It suggests that products falling under the licensing regime should not be marketed on TV or radio, while the prohibition would not apply to the remaining Veikkaus monopoly games; that gambling advertising should be banned at all sports and public events; that the Ministry of the Interior should be empowered to define what constitutes acceptable “moderate” marketing; that marketing should not be directed at anyone under the age of 24; and that the gambling tax rate should be increased to 25.5 percent.
“And there were a few more but I’m sure you got the picture already.”
There are hopes that the opposition voices will be diluted given the sweeping nature of the changes they are proposing to the country’s gambling bill, however, with new elections looming in 2027, it paints an uncertain picture for a market that is already yet to reach its infancy.
