The Act establishes comprehensive rules governing gambling activities, their supervision, and associated licensing regimes, with a stated purpose of safeguarding players, preventing crime, and reducing gambling-related harm.
The legislation, approved by Parliament last December, applies to gambling conducted within or directed toward Finland, while carving out narrow exemptions for private social gambling and certain maritime and aviation contexts.
At the core of the Act is a dual-licensing model that distinguishes between exclusive licences and open gambling licences.
Exclusive licences, limited to a maximum of two, cover lotteries, betting games, slot machines, and casino games, and are reserved for state-controlled limited liability companies.
Gambling licences, by contrast, may be granted to private operators for defined categories such as fixed-odds and variable-odds betting, electronic casino games, virtual betting, and electronic slot machine games.
Gaming software suppliers are also brought under a separate licensing regime, with strict prohibitions on unlicensed software being used or distributed.
The Act introduces detailed player protection mechanisms that significantly tighten existing controls.
Mandatory player registration, identity verification, and the use of personal gaming accounts are required for most forms of gambling, alongside residency checks that restrict electronic gambling to individuals permanently resident in the country.
Players must set daily and monthly transfer limits before gambling, while self-exclusion tools allow for immediate or long-term blocking of access to gambling products.
Credit-based gambling, free games, and aggressive discounting are broadly prohibited, with only tightly regulated bonus play permitted under defined conditions.
Marketing and advertising also targeted
Marketing rules are another feature of the new framework.
Gambling advertising must remain moderate in scope and frequency, with extensive bans on marketing that targets minors or vulnerable persons, depicts gambling as a solution to financial or social problems, or normalises excessive play.
Direct marketing is heavily restricted and requires explicit consent, while sponsorship arrangements are constrained to prevent gambling brands from being promoted in youth-oriented contexts.
Supervision is transferred to a newly designated National Supervisory Authority, which will oversee licensing, compliance, data collection, and enforcement.
The authority is granted wide powers to inspect operators, impose administrative fines, order the removal of unlawful online content, and seek penalty payments of up to 4% of turnover, capped at €5m.
Individuals may be fined €3,000-€40,000, depending on the nature of the violation.
Licence fees and annual supervision charges are scaled according to gaming margins, ensuring ongoing financial oversight of the sector.
Most provisions of the Act will enter into force on 1 July 2027, with selected chapters, including licensing preparations and international cooperation rules, taking effect from 1 March 2026.
Until mid-2027, the National Police Board will continue to act as the competent authority, facilitating the transition to the new regulatory paradigm.
Dingnews.com 23/01/2026