Veikkaus licence in Finland could decide the future of Loto in 2027

Veikkaus risks losing operating permissions and, if it does not obtain the required authorisations, its current operations could be interrupted on 1 July 2027, when Finland’s new gambling framework takes effect. The Poliisihallitus imposed a marketing ban on Veikkaus in November 2024 and a sanction of €2.9 million, factors that may influence the suitability and reliability assessments required by the new law.

By Miguel Sandoval, Regulatory Correspondent.

Applications filed and legal timetable

Veikkaus has filed licence applications under the new framework on behalf of two distinct companies. Media reports state that Veikkaus Onnenpelit Oy has applied for two yksinoikeustoimilupaa (exclusive licences) and Veikkaus Vedonlyönti ja Nettikasino Oy has applied for a rahapelitoimilupa (commercial licence for online betting and casino). The Poliisihallitus began receiving applications in March; files are processed in order of receipt and the authority initially indicated an approximate processing time of six months.

The new regime allows two exclusive licences to be granted: one for draw and lottery-style games such as Loto and another for physical casino games and machines. Separate commercial licences cover activities such as online casinos and sports betting. Almost 80 operators have applied for these licences.

Deadline and the importance of timing in the assessment

1 July 2027 is the date on which Veikkaus’s monopoly on betting, online casino games and electronic bingo ends; that same day the new system would commence if licences are in force. Sources quoted by Hufvudstadsbladet indicate a key date for Veikkaus could be 12 November — the media reference suggests that date may mark when two years have elapsed since the earlier sanction — and if the assessment is carried out after that point the 2024 sanction decision would no longer carry the same weight in the evaluation.

Juha Puisto, ylitarkastaja at the Poliisihallitus, has said that the order of application receipt and the timing of the assessment can be decisive. Puisto emphasises that applications are processed applying the principle of equal treatment and that there is no deliberate attempt to influence outcomes through scheduling of the review.

"Hakemukset käsitellään yhdenvertaisuusperiaatetta noudattaen", commented Juha Puisto about the Poliisihallitus process.

If Veikkaus were denied the licences it has sought across all fronts, its current operations could stop on 1 July 2027; however, refusal of a licence would, in principle, affect only the specific activities covered by that licence.

The marketing ban and the administrative sanction

The Poliisihallitus issued the ban against Veikkaus on 19 November 2024 and set an uhkasakko (coercive fine) of €2.9 million. The authority concluded that Veikkaus had advertised on more than 200 occasions during 2023 and the spring of 2024 in advertising breaks of television programmes aimed at, or attracting, minors. The regulator had warned in May 2024, but it found that the advertising continued.

Veikkaus attributed the broadcasted advertisements to human error and questioned the authority’s interpretation of which types of programmes permit advertising.

Expert views and reputational risks

Gambling lawyer Joonas Karhu warns that the 2024 sanction "may prevent" a licence being granted if the reliability and suitability assessment is carried out before two years have passed since the sanction decision. Karhu adds that, in practice, a definitive denial of a licence seems unlikely to him, but he confirms that the timing of the assessment is important.

Wille Wilenius, a marketing and communications expert in the gambling industry, considers that an interruption of operations would be a significant reputational blow for Veikkaus. Wilenius described the scenario as "dramatic" and said that managing the situation requires authorities to act with strict adherence to rules to preserve their credibility.

"Koko ajatus tuntuu absurdilta. Tämä voisi lamaannuttaa ainakin hetkellisesti Loton, Kenon, vedonlyönnin ja Veikkauksen kasinotoiminnan", said Wille Wilenius on the possible consequences.

Status of other applicants and announcements

In October the first favourable decisions made public by international operators were announced: Wildz Group disclosed a licence on 15 October and Hippos ATG on 19 October. The Poliisihallitus did not publish its own notices at that time about those resolutions; the information came from corporate announcements.

Karhu stresses that Veikkaus competes on equal terms with other applicants and that state ownership does not exempt the company from meeting the requirements of the new rahapelilaki.

For regulatory tracking and sector news, consult the regulation section and the latest reports in news.