Finland’s state-operated gambling entity, Veikkaus, is set to embark on a significant new venture by launching Viabet, its first consumer-facing brand outside Finland.
This milestone was revealed on Thursday, as the rollout is planned to take place simultaneously in both Finland and Denmark, through a strategic partnership with Viaplay Denmark and Viaplay Finland.
This marks Veikkaus’s first direct-to-consumer (B2C) gaming brand operation beyond its home market. Prior efforts by Veikkaus to venture internationally were confined to its B2B subsidiary, Fennica Gaming, established in 2022, which focuses on exporting Finnish gaming technology and services to various clients in 21 countries.
Viabet is slated to officially launch on July 1, 2027, in both Finland and Denmark.
Olli Sarekoski, President and CEO of Veikkaus, characterized the introduction of Viabet as “a significant strategic step,” reflecting the company’s intent to expand its reach internationally. He stated that the partnership with Viaplay will allow Veikkaus to craft a “differentiated offering,” bolster its competitiveness in open markets, and lay the groundwork for an international consumer business that capitalizes on Finnish expertise.
The partnership aims to integrate Veikkaus’s advanced gaming technology and customer experience with Viaplay’s extensive sports content and market presence in Scandinavia. Veikkaus intends to incorporate selected media content from Viaplay and utilize its sports data and analytics to enhance Viaplay’s sports coverage.
Executives from Viaplay also expressed strong enthusiasm for the collaboration. Lars Bo Jeppesen, CEO of Viaplay Denmark, underscored Veikkaus’s ambitious objectives and capabilities as well-suited to the Danish market, with a strong emphasis on responsible gaming at the core of their strategy. “We are delighted that Veikkaus sees Viaplay as the right partner to support those ambitions,” he remarked, highlighting their impressive portfolio of live sports and associated programming.
Mikael Svensson, CEO of Viaplay Finland, noted the successful history of collaboration in Finnish sports production and expressed optimism about extending this partnership into a commercial agreement through Viabet. “We are proud to support Veikkaus’ ambitions for Viabet with our strong sports portfolio, production expertise, and understanding of the Finnish market,” he added.
The launch of Viabet is taking place during a period of increasing market liberalisation in Finland. Historically, Veikkaus has operated as a domestic monopoly under state control, but its foray into branded consumer products internationally signifies a key shift. Jonas Reuter, EVP of international business at Veikkaus, attributed this transition to recent liberalization in Finland’s gambling market, which he sees as presenting a “significant growth opportunity.” He remarked that Viabet is designed to translate Veikkaus’s established expertise into a scalable consumer offering in selected international markets.
Last week, Finland’s market liberalisation advanced, as the National Police Board confirmed to iGB that twelve companies had received licenses for operation. As of October 26, a total of 79 gambling license applications had been submitted, with twelve licenses granted and none rejected.
Although Veikkaus was not listed by the regulator among the license recipients, the company has submitted its own application. Even following the opening of the market, Veikkaus will maintain its monopoly over lottery games, scratchcards, and land-based gaming machines in Finland.
