Finnish people love casino games and different researches show that a large percentage of the Finns point out gambling as their favourite pastime. But is the Finnish government aware of residents’ gambling appetites? How does it regulate the gambling sector? Are unsafe casino sites prosecuted? Which are the white-listed online casinos for Finnish players? Let’s give answers to these questions.
The Finnish online gambling sector is among the best-developed ones in the European Union. All gambling activities that take place on the territory of the country are compliant with the Lotteries Act.
There used to be four organisations responsible for overseeing the interactive gambling services in Finland:
RAY – regulator of land-based gambling services
Veikkaus Oy – sports betting, instant wins and national lottery games regulator
Fintoto Oy – regulator of horse racing games
PAF – oversees gambling activities in the Aland Province
Back in 2017, RAY merged with Veikkaus and Fintoto. The new company was also called Veikkaus.
Today, Finnish players can freely gamble at land-based casino establishments. They are also allowed to place wagers at online casinos on one condition. The online casino must hold a license issued by the Finnish Gambling Authorities. At the same time, the government is quite reluctant to grant licenses to international operators despite the increased pressure from the EU.
The current legislative framework does not include a law prohibiting the Finns from playing at foreign sites. On the contrary – their access to international casino sites is not restricted. Online casinos, even those that have gained a reputation of law-abiding ones such as 888.com and 32Red, gladly accept Finnish players.
In other words, the Finns can engage in online gambling activities unless the T&C of the chosen casino explicitly state that Finland is among the restricted countries.
For the time being, international operators are not allowed to use .fi domains and advertise their products and services in Finnish media.
Online Casino Payment methods for Finnish players
Online casinos accept a vast number of currencies, including Euro, so Finnish players are not charged a currency conversion fee upon making deposits and withdrawals.
As for the accepted payment methods, players can use the most common VISA/ MasterCard credit and debit cards, as well as some country-specific payment solutions such as Euteller, Nordea, or Zimpler.
Online casinos accepting Finnish players Since no clause prohibits participation in online gambling activities there is always a chance to stumble upon a casino that offers an appealing welcome bonus and turns out to be a scam at the end. That’s why Finnish players have to be extra cautious and play at recommended casinos only.
Want to know some facts about online casinos & gambling in Finland?
Please check the infographic bellow explaining more about Finnish online gambling market.
New Online casinos accepting Finish players
A list of new online casinos accepting players from Finland. Please keep in mind that some of them might not be good to play at or fully launched yet.