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Exclusive: Finland¡¯s new gambling rules could spark 'chaos', warns legal expert
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As Finland moves closer to dismantling its gambling monopoly and introducing a competitive licensing regime by 2027, lawmakers are weighing the balance between market liberalisation and public health safeguards.
Under the government¡¯s proposed Gambling Act, the digital monopoly held by state-owned Veikkaus is set to end, allowing private operators to enter the market under a licensing system. A new supervisory authority would be established to oversee compliance, with mandatory ID checks, self-exclusion tools, and tighter advertising regulations introduced as part of broader reforms.
Earlier last week, the Finnish Parliamentary Committee on Social Affairs and Health (CSAH) issued a response to the draft legislation, expressing concern that the current form of the bill could increase gambling-related harm and associated social costs. The committee has suggested the minimum age for gambling be raised to 20 years and also recommended banning outdoor advertising and introducing stricter marketing restrictions, stating that young adults (18¨C24) should receive ¡°special protection¡±.
The CSAH stated that gambling should not be viewed as a regular consumer good, because of its addictive nature and the wider social harms it can cause. Its feedback, while not suggesting direct amendments, urges lawmakers to prioritise harm prevention over commercial incentives.
The Parliament¡¯s Administrative Committee is now tasked with consolidating feedback from multiple subcommittees ahead of the final debate and vote on the bill.
To better understand the legal challenges and broader implications of Finland¡¯s proposed gambling reform, SiGMA World spoke exclusively with Antti Koivula, Legal Advisor at.
SiGMA World: What challenges do you foresee in implementing the new licensing system scheduled for 2026-2027?
Antti Koivula, Legal Advisor at Legal Gaming Attorneys at Law: The establishment of an entirely new licensing and supervisory authority from scratch represents a significant bureaucratic undertaking. Identifying best practices, hiring competent staff, and getting the necessary processes and infrastructure operational will take time. I foresee a range of practical challenges during the early stages of implementation.
Moreover, several fundamental concepts, rules, and provisions within the proposed framework remain inadequately defined. Without timely and comprehensive guidance from the authorities, there is a significant risk of regulatory uncertainty. This lack of clarity could lead to inconsistent interpretation, unnecessary enforcement actions against licensed operators, and growing dissatisfaction with the system as a whole.
A particularly concerning aspect is the treatment of player taxation.
Winnings from non-licensed operators will be taxable¡ªas they should be¡ªbut the inability to deduct losses creates a disproportionate and unjust outcome. Each individual game round is treated as a separate taxable event, meaning that the overall result of a gaming session¡ªor even a longer-term net loss¡ªis irrelevant in the eyes of the tax authorities.
A player could, for example, generate hundreds of thousands of euros in ¡°taxable income¡± despite ending up with thousands of euros net loss. Worse yet, failing to report this so-called income could be considered aggravated tax fraud, punishable by up to four years in prison. Enforcing this taxation regime strictly from the beginning of 2027 would cause chaos, with tens of thousands of players¡ªmany suffering from gambling addiction¡ªfacing criminal liability. The Finnish judicial system would be overwhelmed by the resulting case load.
Enforcement against the black market will also pose a major challenge. Without robust and effective mechanisms, it is likely that unauthorised operators will continue to flourish. While the current regulator¡ªthe National Police Board¡ªhas expressed confidence in the adequacy of the proposed enforcement tools, I remain far more skeptical, particularly regarding their effectiveness in supervising and curbing black market activities, as opposed to merely overseeing licensed operators. The distinction is critical, and without a focused strategy to address unauthorised offerings, the black market will remain a serious threat to the goals of the new system.
In addition, the proposed ban on affiliate marketing, strict bonus limitations, and a highly restrictive stance on online marketing will likely decrease the channellisation rate. This could result in a surge of marketing in traditional media channels¡ªwhere rules are comparatively lenient¡ªwhich may in turn provoke public backlash. This scenario might lead to further regulatory responses, such as additional advertising restrictions, which would ultimately benefit the black market rather than the licensed ecosystem.
SiGMA World: From a legal perspective, what are the key challenges in balancing regulatory control with market liberalisation in the new Gambling Act?
Antti: The most pressing challenge from a regulatory standpoint is the effective enforcement against cross-border black market operations. Without credible enforcement mechanisms, there is little incentive for operators to enter the licensing system and comply with the accompanying obligations and restrictions. This undermines the core goal of the reform: increasing channellisation.
Striking the right balance between responsible gambling measures, marketing limitations, and the attractiveness of the regulated market is inherently difficult. While the new Finnish Gambling Act is a step in the right direction, I am particularly concerned that policymakers may underestimate the impact of the severe online marketing restrictions.
These measures risk marginalising small and mid-sized operators, further weakening the channellisation rate and inadvertently strengthening the black market.
SiGMA World: In your view, what are the next steps after the Parliament¡¯s Administrative Committee prepares its report on the government¡¯s proposal?
Antti: The Administrative Committee will continue its process by reviewing the statements submitted by other parliamentary committees and by conducting expert hearings, which began last week. At this stage, five of the six relevant committees have already submitted their statements; only the Constitutional Law Committee¡¯s statement remains pending.
Once the Administrative Committee concludes its deliberations, it may propose amendments to the bill. The bill will then proceed to a plenary session of Parliament for debate and, eventually, a vote.
