Veikkaus, Finland’s state-owned gambling operator, is set to launch its new betting brand, Viabet, on July 1, 2027, as it enters the international betting market. This initiative will operate in collaboration with Viaplay Finland and Viaplay Denmark as the Finnish online gambling market opens, marking the end of Veikkaus’s monopoly in that sector.
The partnership will leverage Veikkaus's gambling technology, customer experience, and responsible gambling features alongside Viaplay’s sports media assets and strong presence in Scandinavia. Olli Sarekoski, President and CEO of Veikkaus, remarked that the introduction of Viabet represents a strategic move for the company and illustrates their commitment to growing internationally. He stated, "Through this partnership, we can build a differentiated offering, improve our competitiveness in the open market, and create a stronger foundation for scalable international consumer business based on Finnish expertise."
In addition to betting services, the companies aim to include selected content from Viaplay in their offerings, with Veikkaus providing sports data and analytics to enhance Viaplay’s coverage. Mikael Svensson, CEO of Viaplay Finland, expressed enthusiasm regarding the partnership, highlighting their existing collaboration in Finnish sports production. He said, "We are proud to support Veikkaus’ ambitions for Viabet with our strong sports portfolio, production expertise and knowledge of the Finnish market."
Jonas Reuter, Veikkaus’ Executive Vice President of International Business, noted that the opening of Finland’s money gaming market presents a significant growth opportunity. He pointed out that there is clear international demand for their expertise, and Viabet will enable Veikkaus to transform that expertise into a scalable consumer business in select markets.
Historically, Veikkaus has focused mainly on B2B operations, with its only B2G client being Fennica Gaming, which offers technology services to 21 countries. The rollout of Viabet signifies a shift from B2B to consumer betting for the company.
So far, the National Police Board of Finland has approved 12 of the 79 applications received for online gambling licenses, with no applications rejected to date. Although Veikkaus has applied for an online gambling license, it has yet to be included on the list of approved operators. Meanwhile, the operator will maintain its monopoly on Finnish lotteries, scratch cards, and land-based gaming machines.
