Finland’s Ministry of the Interior has published four draft regulations under the Gambling Act for public consultation. The document paints a picture of how the country’s online gambling market will operate once it transitions from a monopoly to a licensed online casino model that opens in 2027.
The consultation will remain open until August 5, 2026, and covers a draft Government Decree governing gambling activities conducted by holders of exclusive licences, as well as three Ministry of the Interior regulations on game rules, competitive-market operations, and the redemption period for gambling winnings.
The proposals represent a significant step in Finland’s ongoing gambling reform project, which aims to replace the long-standing monopoly of Veikkaus with a regulated and open iGaming market for third-party operators.
Stricter Player Protection Measures
Among the most notable proposals are a ban on autoplay features in online casino games, alongside mandatory player reminders every 15 minutes, and bet limits for online slots.
Under the draft rules, stakes for slots would be limited to €20 per spin, while players under the age of 25 would have a lower limit of €10 per spin. Slot games would also be required to have a minimum round duration of 2.5 seconds, which should prevent players from further accelerating the gameplay to reveal results more quickly.
In the meantime, the mandatory gameplay reminders would require players to actively choose whether to continue playing or exit the game every 15 minutes.
Antti Koivula, Chief Compliance Officer at Hippos ATG, described the proposals as essentially expected but noted that some measures could attract industry attention.
“The autoplay ban will probably get the most attention. Somewhat bigger surprise is the gameplay reminder every 15 minutes, which requires the player to make an active choice between continuing to play and leaving the game.”
Changes to Land-Based Gambling
The draft Government Decree also introduces changes affecting brick-and-mortar gambling operations. The tabled measures include adjustments to payout percentages, limits on the number of gambling machines per gaming venue, and a lowering of the maximum number of allowed gaming arcades and casino games.
According to the Ministry, these reductions should help Finland keep up with the evolving gambling sector, including declining gambling participation and a reduced number of gaming locations.
The draft regulations further establish rules for betting games, scratch cards, online lotteries, gambling machine games, and casino operations. Additional provisions define the maximum stakes allowed in online casino games and set technical requirements for electronic gambling machine products.
Licensing Interest Exceeds Expectations
The publication of the draft regulations comes amid strong interest from operators seeking entry into Finland’s future regulated market.
The National Police Board’s Gambling Administration confirmed that approximately 50 gambling operators have already submitted licence applications since the new regulatory framework opened earlier this year. Most applicants are international companies.
“The majority of applicants are foreign companies, which increases the complexity of processing and evaluating their submissions,” said Juha Katainen, Senior Advisor at the National Police Board.
Each applicant must pay a processing fee of €29,000 before their review begins. Regulators are conducting extensive assessments of applicants’ reliability, suitability, corporate structures, and financial backing, while also checking for potential money laundering attempts.
The Police Board has indicated that licence applications should take around six months to be processed. Still, no fixed application deadline has been provided at this time.
Industry Seeks Greater Clarity
While Finland’s gambling reform legislation was approved in January, industry stakeholders have continued to seek clarification on key operational details.
Jarkko Nordlund, Head of iCasino and Sportsbook at Veikkaus, recently highlighted uncertainty surrounding issues such as bonus offers, advertising restrictions, duty-of-care obligations, and player protection requirements.
“The law is fine. Now everyone is begging a bit, like, what are the definitions of the law? We still don’t know how we’re able to use bonusing, what advertising is allowed, what media is allowed, duty of care, player protection,” added Nordlund.
The newly published draft regulations are expected to answer many of those questions, although operators still have an opportunity to influence the final framework through the consultation process.
Concerns Over Market Saturation
The unexpectedly high number of licence applications has also raised questions about the size and competitiveness of Finland’s future gambling market.
Earlier industry estimates suggested that between 40 and 50 operators would ultimately enter the market once licensing became available. With roughly 50 applications already submitted more than a year before launch, some industry participants are questioning whether Finland can support such a large number of operators.
“It’s a rather small country to add a lot of operators into the mix,” Koivula shared.
Transition to New Regulatory Authority
The first licences issued under Finland’s new gambling framework will take effect on 1 July 2027. Until then, the National Police Board will remain responsible for licensing and supervision.
Following the market launch, regulatory oversight will transfer to the newly established Finnish Supervisory Agency, which will assume responsibility for supervising the liberalised gambling market.
The Ministry of the Interior is expected to finalise the draft regulations after the consultation period closes on 5 August, bringing Finland one step closer to the most significant overhaul of its gambling sector in decades.
