Finland to publish draft regulations for online gambling opening
Progress sets Finland on course to see a regulated online gambling market launch in 2027.
Finland.- The government of Finland has said that it expects the imminent introduction of two new draft regulations for the planned opening of a competitive licensed online gambling system under the new Finnish Gambling Act. The progress suggests that operators will be able to apply for Finnish online gambling licences early in 2026 as initially expected.
The update provides reassurance that the government is sticking to its planned timeline, with the market launch slated for January 2027. There had been concerns that a lack of clear guidelines could delay the launch by six months.
The upcoming draft regulations are intended to establish rules that meet international regulatory norms, particularly in relation to random number generation (RNG), information security and independent auditing.
For operators using RNG-based systems, one of the draft regulations will outline expectations in terms of assurance levels, approved testing methodologies, and thresholds for traceability and verification. It will also set out how RNGs must be implemented, documented and monitored.
Meanwhile, the other draft regulation for Finnish online gambling will detail security obligations. These will follow a two-pronged model. Licence holders must undergo a data security audit every two years, alongside an annual external vulnerability assessment. Both must be conducted by accredited independent bodies under strict criteria.
The biennial data security test will assess game outcome integrity, the protection of personal and financial data and the safeguarding of log files. As for the annual vulnerability scan, this will be intended to identify and address potential weaknesses before they can be exploited.
Accredited inspection bodies will need to comply with ISO or IEC standards. Finland may also recognise accreditation under Danish or Swedish systems during the transition, though this remains subject to approval.
In the meantime, the state-controlled operator Veikkaus has been preparing for the end of its monopoly on online gambling in Finland. The plan is for the operator to be split in two, with one part of the company to retain the monopoly over lottery and retail sports betting operations.
ATG, the Swedish horseracing betting operation, is one of the operators that has been most active in preparing to enter the Finnish market. It’s entered into a joint venture with Finnish trotting organisation Suomen Hippos. The Åland Islands-owned gambling operator Paf also hopes to gain a foothold in the new market, having already signed up the Finnish Formula 1 star Kimi Räikkönen as a brand ambassador.
