The Finnish government has submitted a gambling reform law bill to its Parliament aimed at ending the country’s state gaming monopoly under Veikkaus by the end of 2026.
If parliament signs off on the reforms, the Veikkauss monopoly on online gambling will be replaced “with a licensing model that allows international gaming firms to officially enter the Finnish market.”
According to Finnish public broadcaster YLE, the proposed changes will also include setting up a new licensing authority to oversee the gambling industry that will be operational at the start of 2026.
Veikkaus will retain its lottery and scratch card monopoly
Under the reforms, Veikkaus will retain its lottery and scratch card monopoly while also continuing its casino gaming and slot machine operations.
According to the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority, half of Finns’ online gambling spend goes to offshore operators. If the bill passes parliament, there will be “no set limit on the amount of losses gamblers could face.”