First Finnish online licence awarded to Wildz Group raises questions on offshore ads

Wildz Group has announced it became the first company to be issued an online gambling licence by Finland’s National Police Board (NPB), a move that has prompted debate over how the regulator will treat prior grey‑market advertising. The company made the announcement last week; the NPB has not yet officially confirmed the news. Finland’s new igaming market is due to open on 1 July 2027.

Announcement and status

Wildz Group, a Malta‑based operator that rebranded from Rootz in June 2025, told the gaming press that it had been granted an online licence by the National Police Board. The board has not published a confirmation at the time of Wildz’s statement. Wildz said the licence was a milestone and pledged to work with the regulator on channelisation and meeting the regime’s objectives.

"Being the first operator to receive a gambling licence in Finland is a fantastic milestone for Wildz Group and a well-deserved reward for the hard work and dedication of our entire team throughout the application process," Wildz said in comments quoted across the trade press.

Advertising history under scrutiny

Wildz’s apparent lead in the licensing queue has unsettled some industry observers because the company was the subject of regulatory attention for alleged grey‑market advertising. Reports in the Iltalehti newspaper said the National Police Board was in frequent dialogue with the company up until at least September 2025 over advertising it suspected to be illegal. The operator has not been the target of a formal enforcement action and has not been found to have broken Finnish law.

The scrutiny centred in part on the Gämblers Cast, a Finnish‑language sports show, and its most prominent host, former downhill skiing world champion Kalle Palander, where Wildz branding once featured and has since been removed from new episodes.

NPB enforcement stance and sanctions data

The National Police Board has recently signalled a strict approach to offshore marketing aimed at Finland. The regulator issued a public statement the day before Wildz’s announcement noting it has made frequent use of conditional fines and prohibition orders to curb illegal gambling marketing. The NPB said it had issued four prohibition orders and six conditional fines so far in 2026.

NPB group manager Juhani Wallinvirta was quoted explaining the use of threat fines:

"The purpose of the threat fine is not to punish illegal activity, but to enhance compliance with the prohibition decision and ensure that illegal marketing effectively ends," he said. "Only Veikkaus Oy has the right to market gambling in mainland Finland."

The NPB’s published position is clear that receiving a prohibition order will bar an operator’s licence application for two years under Finland’s new gambling regulations.

Parallel case: MagicPoro and the Helsinki Administrative Court

MagicPoro, a Cyprus‑based operator, illustrates how enforcement and licensing will collide. The NPB issued MagicPoro a €1.2m fine and an effective two‑year ban on applying to enter the new market in early October 2026, citing Finnish‑centric advertisements. That prohibition order was later suspended by the Helsinki Administrative Court while it considers MagicPoro’s appeal.

MagicPoro disclosed in its appeal filing that it has applied for a licence and intends to pursue that application despite the NPB order. Legal advisers have said the appeal process could extend past the July 2027 market opening, and the handling of MagicPoro’s pending licence application will be watched closely.

Industry reaction and application volumes

Some operators reportedly withdrew from active marketing to Finnish consumers ahead of the licensing window, fearing that targeted advertising could jeopardise eligibility. Legal advisers continue to advise caution; Heikki Koivula, a senior advisor at Nordic Law, warned that active advertising aimed at Finland could be "a bit of a turn‑off" when suitability for a licence is assessed and noted the NPB continues to monitor marketing while processing licence applications.

The regulator says it has received 75 bids for licences to date, with analysts expecting up to 100 applications before the 1 July 2027 launch — a substantial pool for a country of 5.6m people.

What remains unresolved

NPB confirmation of Wildz’s licence status and any published rationale for accepting or rejecting applicants who have been the subject of advertising enforcement remain outstanding. The treatment of operators with prior conditional fines or prohibition orders, and the outcome of MagicPoro’s appeal in the Helsinki Administrative Court, are likely to shape how permissive the NPB is about past offshore advertising as the market opens.