The Ministry of the Interior of Finland has announced a raft of changes to operator license fees as part of the incoming 2027 Gambling Act.
This update comes in a substantial year for legal reform in the Scandinavian nation, with the breakup of the longstanding state-owned gambling operator Veikkaus Oy.
Finland will now move to a more competitive model under the new Gambling Act, and the reform aims to shift licensing away from the established one-track norm under Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s government.
Finland announces new operator license fees
As part of a statement, the Finnish Ministry of the Interior outlined the changes operators must implement to offer legally approved wagering.
The regulator has also stated that there will be a timeframe for these applications. As we reported, they will come into force on March 1, 2026, and close on December 31, 2026.
Finland to open some gambling services to competition https://t.co/uoZJbZRTDL
— Finnish Government (@FinGovernment) January 15, 2026
According to the post, the fees to hold an exclusive licence and a gambling licence will cost EUR 29,000 ($34,000), and any alterations made by a holder will result in a EUR 1,120 ($1,330) fee.
The major aim, says the overseer, is to further regulate all forms of gambling and eliminate routes for illegal operators to flourish, however, compared to other nations, the fee is lower.
This could be an attempt to drive or incentivise private ownership, as established open markets in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom are higher.
The National Police Board to hand over regulation
The open market will be strictly managed, the statement says, with tight supervision of certain forms of gambling offered to private operators when this goes live in July 2027.
Another substantial change will be the regulation and application process switching from the National Police Board, which will remain in post until mid-2027, to the new Supervisory Agency model.
Regardless of the regulatory body, Finland will adopt a unique hybrid model that firmly keeps Lotteries, casino locations, physical slot machines, and scratch cards under public regulation, whilst sports and other online licenses will be up for grabs.
Featured image: Finnish Ministry of the Interior
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