The Finnish government recently submitted a proposal to Parliament, postponing the launch of the regulated online gambling market by six months. Officials have cited the lack of manpower as the primary reason behind the delay. The opposition has flagged the timing of the market launch as a political strategy, highlighting that the Presidential elections are scheduled for April 2026.
Finnish Lawmakers Propose Delaying the Launch of the Regulated Online Gambling Market to July 1, 2026: Key Insights
- A Parliamentary Administration Committee had previously called for a six-month delay in launching Finland’s regulated online gambling market. Earlier this week, lawmakers debated the proposal in Parliament.
- The new law transfers supervision and enforcement from the National Police Board (NPB) to a National Supervisory Agency, which does not exist yet. Lawmakers are considering transferring people from the NPB to the new agency.
- The opposition has questioned whether the postponement is a political strategy. The National Coalition Party responded that the delay is purely to allow the new supervisory body sufficient time to settle into its responsibilities.
Finland’s Regulated Online Gambling Market Preparing for a July 2027 Launch
Finnish lawmakers, during a Parliamentary session on Tuesday, December 9, called for a six-month delay in launching the regulated online gambling market. MP Mika Sinuhe Wallinheimo, on behalf of the National Coalition Party, pointed to a lack of manpower in the proposed Finnish Supervisory Agency as the primary reason behind the postponement.
State-run Veikkaus Oy, which monopolises gambling in Finland, has been losing popularity for some time. Consumers, instead, have been actively visiting online casinos in Finland. The increasing popularity of offshore gaming platforms among local players prompted the government to open the market to private operators, ushering in a new era of regulated gambling in the country.
Under the reformed legislation, the National Police Board, which is currently in charge of enforcing the Gambling Act, will transfer the responsibility to the National Supervisory Authority. Lawmakers claim that the supervisory agency has yet to be established, and a six-month extension will enable them to hire and train new staff for maximum operational efficiency.
MP Wallinheimo said:
The permits for the first year, 2026, are indeed taken in by the National Police Board, and from the beginning of 2027, this would then have been under the supervision of the licensing and supervisory authorities. Such an organisation does not exist. We have no idea what type of people will be working there in the future, and on the same day, they would have completed this huge task. It is simply not possible.
The minister further revealed plans to transfer staff from the National Police Board to the Supervisory Authority. However, the NPB can only spare a limited number of employees, while the Supervisory Authority will need a few dozen people to discharge its duties.
Minister Wallinheimo continued:
That is why, first of all, since there is no National Supervisory Authority, we are now wondering whether there are perhaps people in the police administration who could move there, but there are only a handful of people there. The National Supervisory Authority needs dozens of people to carry out this supervision. That’s why it made sense to take a six-month break from this so that people can genuinely get to work from there, and they know what they are supervising, after which they can then do their job properly.
Opposition Claims Political Angle Behind Market Launch Delay
Centre Party MP Tuomas Kettunen called the market launch delay the Coalition Party’s election politicking. He questioned whether the ruling coalition did not want this advertising rally to start on January 1, 2027, a few months before the Presidential election is scheduled to happen.
Minister Kettunen stated:
Was this about some kind of election politics, that the National Coalition Party did not want this advertising rally to start on 1 January 2027, because the parliamentary elections will be held on 18 April 2027? In other words, it is only a couple of months after the parliamentary elections that this advertising rally begins.
He also questioned whether the National Coalition Party were worried that gambling advertisements would overshadow their campaigns right before the election campaign began.
The MP asked:
What worried the National Coalition Party about this matter? Was it the fact that the National Coalition Party doesn’t get its election ads when there are so many ads from gaming companies in the newspapers? Or was it a matter that there was a little concern about what kind of impact this would have on the election result of the National Coalition Party if these disadvantages started to occur?
Minister Wallinheimo addressed these apprehensions soon, highlighting the lack of manpower as the sole reason behind the delay. Following the latest timeline, operators will be able to apply for a Finnish gambling licence starting July 1, 2027. They will have a one-year window before they need to exclusively offer locally licensed gaming software.
The government has announced several measures for transitioning into a regulated gambling framework. Veikkaus will be split into two separate entities to comply with EU competition laws. The company expects significant operational restructuring during the transition phase and is projecting up to 30 layoffs.
Authorities have also proposed advertising restrictions to protect minors from gambling harm. The National Police Board has been strictly enforcing the legislation. In September, the NPB prosecuted several influencers for promoting illegal gambling platforms, despite repeated warnings. Violators had to pay a conditional fine of €30,000 or be liable for imprisonment.