Finland’s regulated gambling market is generating significant industry interest, with the country’s National Police Board confirming that 50 licence applications have now been filed.
The applications have been submitted ahead of the market’s scheduled launch on 1 July 2027, which will bring an end to the long-standing Veikkaus monopoly in the country.
The National Police Board is currently serving as a temporary regulator until the new market officially opens, overseeing the entire licensing and application process in the interim.
Licence applications first opened in March 2026, and analysts at the Global Markets Hub at NEXT Summit Valletta 2026 estimated around 30 applications had been filed as of last month.
The latest figures from the NPB suggest the total has nearly doubled in just a few weeks, pointing to strong and growing appetite from operators across the industry.
Every applicant is required to pay a processing fee of €29,000 to complete their submission, representing a significant financial commitment from those seeking a foothold in the Finnish market.
LeoVegas is among the companies that have publicly confirmed their interest, with Nordics managing director Fredrik Wastenson revealing on the Summit Valletta 2026 panel that the operator had applied for two licences.
The NPB has chosen not to identify any applicants at this stage, though several companies have independently come forward to announce their intentions to pursue a Finnish licence.
Applicants face a potentially lengthy wait for a decision, with the NPB confirming that each licence application will take approximately six months to fully process given the volume and complexity involved.
Juha Katainen, senior advisor at the NPB, highlighted the challenges facing the processing team, noting that the international make-up of applicants adds considerable complexity to the workload.
“The complexity of processing and evaluating applications is affected by the fact that the majority of applicants are foreign,” said Juha Katainen, senior advisor at the NPB.
“We hope that applicants will avoid constantly contacting us about the processing status of their application, as answering enquiries takes time away from processing applications.”
The NPB has confirmed there is no deadline to apply and that the process is described as “continuous”, though it has urged interested parties to submit sooner rather than later to maximise their chances of securing approval before the July 2027 launch.
The National Police Board will retain its temporary regulatory responsibilities until June 2027, at which point the Finnish Supervisory Agency will assume oversight of the newly opened market.
