Finland approves 12 gambling licences, but they cannot take effect before July 2027

Finland’s National Police Board has now approved 12 gambling licences under the country’s new licensing regime, but those approvals do not let operators offer licensed Finnish gambling yet. The market does not open until 1 July 2027.

The new aggregate figures were published by iGaming Business on 26 October after an information request to the National Police Board. iGB says the regulator told it that 79 gambling licence applications had been submitted as of that date, 12 licences had been granted and none had been rejected. Some operators had already announced individual approvals, but this is the first reported regulator-sourced aggregate count of approvals.

That distinction matters for players because “licence granted” and “licensed gambling available now” are not the same thing.

The National Police Board’s own guidance says gambling under the new system becomes a licensed activity from 1 July 2027. It also says licences cannot enter into force before that date. Until the end of June 2027, mainland Finland remains under the current monopoly framework, with Veikkaus holding the exclusive right to organise gambling.

The regulator’s licence-holder guidance adds another condition: even an approved operator cannot begin providing or marketing gambling services before 1 July 2027, and launch also depends on required audits and connection to the supervision system being completed.

For players, the practical rule is simple. A casino may truthfully say that Finland has granted it a future licence if that decision exists, but it should not present that approval as permission to offer licensed Finnish gambling before the licence takes effect. Any wording that suggests the new Finnish regime is already live would create the wrong impression about the operator’s current status.

The Police also states that, under the rules in force until the end of June 2027, other gambling services targeting Finland are not permitted. After the new system starts, players will be able to identify legal operators by licence information required under the Finnish regime.

The 26 October figures show that Finland’s licensing process is moving, but they are a progress update toward a future market launch — not an early opening.