Finland issues 18 gambling licences as market transition approaches July 2027

The National Police Board published figures on 29 October showing it has approved 18 gambling licences ahead of Finland's competitive market opening on 1 July 2027. The regulator reported that a further 63 applications are awaiting decisions, bringing the total applications accounted for to 81.

Timing and licence terms

Approved licences will generally run from 1 July 2027 to 30 June 2032. Operators granted approval must still complete audits and connect to the supervision system before they may launch. An approval from the National Police Board does not permit operators to accept bets or advertise under the new regime before 1 July 2027. Veikkaus retains its monopoly on online betting and casino services until the end of June 2027, when the regulatory handover also takes place: the National Police Board will handle licensing and supervision through June 2027, after which the Finnish Supervisory Agency assumes those duties.

Application volume, fees and processing times

The NPB said the latest figures account for 81 applications in total. The board also reported that application reviews now take six to eight months, longer than its original three-to-six-month estimate. The regulator had reported 12 approvals from 79 applications on 26 October; three days later the approved total had reached 18 and the application count had increased by two.

Each application cost €29,000 to process in 2026. That fee applies whether the regulator approves or rejects an application. Licensed operators will also face an annual supervision fee once licences take effect. Interest has risen since applications opened on 1 March 2026: the NPB reported 50 applications in June and 75 in September before issuing its first decisions.

The NPB processes applications in arrival order and said most applicants operate outside Finland, which lengthens background checks because foreign applicants must supply official documents themselves. Juho Puisto, senior adviser at the NPB Gambling Administration, said a single application can require examination of hundreds of pages. “Having to ask for further information naturally has an impact on processing times,” Puisto said.

Who appears among the first approvals

The register lists the licensed legal entities rather than their parent groups or consumer brands. The first 18 approved legal entities named by the National Police Board include Hippos ATG Oy, Skill On Net Ltd and SuomiVeto Oy. Hippos ATG brings together Swedish operator ATG and Finnish trotting association Suomen Hippos. SuomiVeto is a business established by BetCity.nl founders Melvin Bostelaar and Joey Singels.

Other approved companies are Cloudberry Ent Limited, KuuFlip Limited, Nivei Ursi Limited, RocketLily Ent Limited, SixthSpin Limited, YTBlue Limited, Granturo Finland Ltd and Sunflower Gaming Limited. The list also includes Roi Roger Limited, UnionJack Limited, Buccone Trading Limited, Benelongs Ltd, Stare Straight Ltd, Pot Luck Club Ltd and Amber Entertainment Finland Ltd.

Separate company announcements have supplemented the register: Wildz Group announced its approval on 15 October, Hippos ATG confirmed approval on 19 October, and SkillOnNet and SuomiVeto have also confirmed licences. European Entertainment Group, owner of ComeOn Group, said on 22 October that it had received every licence it applied for but did not identify the specific licensed companies. No Veikkaus company appears among the first 18 approvals.

What comes next

The 18 approvals represent the first part of a multi-stage process. Finland has no application deadline and no statutory cap on the number of operators. The National Police Board expects dozens more decisions as it continues processing applications in arrival order. Operators approved now must still satisfy audit and system-connection requirements before they can operate when the market opens on 1 July 2027.