Veikkaus has signed a commercial agreement with Viaplay Denmark and Viaplay Finland to launch Viabet in Finland and Denmark on 1 July 2027. Announced on 29 October, the new brand marks the Finnish state-owned operator’s first planned move into consumer gambling outside Finland.
Viabet is scheduled to launch in Finland and Denmark on 1 July 2027.
Veikkaus will develop, own and operate the brand, with Viaplay contributing selected media content.
The launch coincides with Finland’s competitive market opening, when licensed operators can begin offering betting and online casino services.
In its announcement, Veikkaus said the agreement combines its gaming technology and customer expertise with selected Viaplay media content. Veikkaus’s sports data and analytics will also support Viaplay’s sports coverage.
Viaplay brings sports content expertise and knowledge of both markets.
Veikkaus chief executive Olli Sarekoski said:
It is a strategic investment in Veikkaus’ future.
Veikkaus already operates internationally through its B2B subsidiary Fennica Gaming, which it says serves customers in 21 countries. Viabet extends that expansion to a direct consumer brand.
The planned launch falls on the date when Finland’s online gambling market opens to licensed competition. Under the new Gambling Act, betting, online slots, online casino games and online money bingo will move into a licensing system.
Veikkaus will retain exclusive rights to lottery-type games, scratch cards, physical slot machines and land-based casino games. The reform therefore changes the competitive position of its betting and online gaming businesses while preserving the monopoly for other products.
Licence applications opened on 1 March 2026. Operators must meet the applicable licensing requirements, and licensed services under the new system can begin from July 2027.
Finland has already confirmed its first 12 gambling licences, with 79 applications received as of 26 October. Approved applicants include Hippos ATG, Wildz Group’s Granturo Finland, Skill On Net and Sunflower Gaming.
The approvals show that other operators are preparing for the same opening date as Veikkaus’s planned Finnish launch.
Veikkaus’s first-half results provide context for the expansion. Group revenue reached €471.3 million in January–June 2026, compared with €466.4 million a year earlier, while digital channels generated 64.5% of domestic gross gaming revenue.
Fennica Gaming’s revenue rose to €10.3 million from €5.7 million. That figure includes game production for Veikkaus’s Finnish businesses as well as international B2B operations.
In the September results announcement, Veikkaus also said it had established two subsidiaries in May and submitted licence applications for both its exclusive operations and the future competitive market.
