Finland’s National Police Board has received 75 applications for gambling licences ahead of the country’s competitive market opening in July 2027.
The figure has comfortably surpassed initial insider estimates, which predicted authorities would issue somewhere between 40 and 60 licences in total.
Interest was already considered strong back in June, when the number of applications reached 50, but engagement has since climbed well beyond early projections.
For context, neighbouring Sweden has issued 89 licences despite having a population roughly twice the size of Finland, making the Finnish uptake particularly notable.
The comparison underlines the significant commercial appetite operators have for the Finnish market, which represents a meaningful opportunity in the Nordic region.
Finland’s market is not starting from zero, with the established state-owned Veikkaus brand already deeply embedded in Finnish gambling culture and public consciousness.
When the new regulatory framework enters into force on 1 July 2027, the National Supervisory Authority will take over responsibility from the temporary regulator, the National Police Board.
The authority will be tasked with ensuring that “the amount, scope, visibility and frequency of marketing should be moderate and necessary to direct gambling demand to licensed gambling activities.”
Each licence granted under the new framework will carry a fee of €29,000 for the holder, representing a meaningful financial commitment from applicants.
The names of specific applicants have not all been publicly released, and the 75 applications are not necessarily all from unique companies.
A gambling game licence covers operators wishing to offer fixed-odds betting, pool betting, virtual betting, online casino, or online slots, broadening the scope of activities under one authorisation.
Gaming software licences are also available and will be issued specifically to suppliers rather than operators, creating a distinct category within the regulatory structure.
Given the variety of licence categories available, some multi-functional businesses may well have submitted more than one application to cover their full range of services.
The strong early response suggests Finland’s liberalised market will be competitive and well-populated with licensed operators when it officially opens its doors next year.
