Wildz Group has received an official license to operate in Finland’s online gambling market, making it the first operator to publicly announce such approval. CEO Sam Brown acknowledges the challenges ahead while expressing enthusiasm for the company’s ambitions in Finland, particularly as the country prepares to open its market to private operators on July 1, 2027.
Finland is in the midst of significant gambling regulatory reforms, shifting away from its long-standing monopoly to allow online gaming by various private companies. So far, approximately 80 firms have applied for licenses, with Wildz and Hippos ATG being the first to secure approval. More announcements regarding licenses are anticipated soon as the application period nears its eight-month mark.
In an interview with iGB, Brown shared that Wildz plans to expand its presence in Finland by launching 11 different brands. Based in Malta, Wildz operates multiple brands, focusing primarily on casino-related offerings, including its flagship Wildz Casino brand in Germany.
Brown describes the Finnish license as a significant achievement and part of the group’s long-term strategy to focus on fully regulated markets. Following the successful acquisition of one license, he confirmed Wildz's intention to apply for additional licenses to operate all 11 of its brands in Finland. He stated, "Now that we've been successful with one licence, we will likely also apply for several more because we will enter the market with all 11 of our brands. It’s not fully confirmed yet, but highly likely we’ll split the brands up into a few different pots and spread a few of them across multiple licences."
Through a multi-brand approach, Wildz aims to capture a significant share of the Finnish market. Brown believes there is a strong alignment between Finland's gambling market and Wildz's business strategy, stating, "It’s a very casino-focused market, and we’re a very casino-focused business, so we see it fitting in that sense. [It’s] very slots-focused, and our business profile has always been very much towards slots rather than verticals like live casino and so on, which are a bit less popular in Finland."
Brown stressed the importance of entering the market responsibly. He remarked, "We don’t want to go in guns blazing, spraying money around; we’ve seen how that goes historically when markets open. It only takes a few idiots before the regulator needs to change tack and apply very strict advertising rules. So I think the sustainable way in is to go in in a measured way, find your position in the market, and try to offer players the best experience you can."
Wildz plans to build its technology infrastructure internally to cater specifically to the Finnish market. Brown recognizes the extensive work required to launch 11 tailored brands, revealing, "We don’t want to give them a watered-down .com product. We’re fully proprietary here, so we’re building everything. We’re literally building 11 .fi products, so it’s a daunting amount of work ahead. We’re on track, and we want to give the Finnish players the best possible product experience."
He reiterated the company’s commitment to creating a compliant and enjoyable product, stating, "We’ve studied what is expected from the National Police Board in terms of a compliant and enjoyable product, and for us to do that, the best way is to build it from the bottom up. So yes, we’ve got a big chunk of work ahead, but we’re hoping that by doing so, we’ll enter with an industry-leading product that players can really enjoy, and something that we’re proud of within the rules and regulations of the market.
