The Finnish Gambling Administration has stepped up its enforcement against illegal gambling marketing this year, according to a report from Finland’s National Police Board.
On Wednesday, the authority revealed that it has taken decisive action, issuing several prohibition orders and imposing significant conditional fines on individuals and companies promoting unauthorized gambling services in mainland Finland.
The authority aims to "ensure an immediate end to illegal marketing.” As of mid-2026, the Gambling Administration has issued four formal prohibition decisions and has imposed six conditional fines due to violations of the Lotteries Act. These actions are primarily focused on illegal gambling promotions delivered through websites, social media, and live streaming platforms—channels frequently accessed by Finnish consumers.
The conditional fines accompanying these prohibitions are substantial. They range between €30,000 ($33,576) and €200,000 for individuals, while corporate entities face fines between €100,000 and €1.2 million. For those who fail to adhere to the bans, the actual payments collected from individuals have varied from €20,000 to €100,000.
Juhani Wallinvirta, head of the group at the National Police Board, highlighted the reasoning behind these conditional fines: “The imposition of a conditional fine may be considered necessary to ensure an immediate and effective end to the illegal marketing of gambling games.
“The purpose of the conditional fine is not to punish illegal activities, but to reinforce compliance with the prohibition decision and to ensure that illegal marketing actually ceases.”
The National Police Board pointed out that the legal definition of “marketing gambling games” is broad, covering advertising and promotional activities aimed at boosting gambling demand.
The board noted a marked increase in illegal marketing on digital platforms, particularly through social media and gaming live streams, where influencers and operators can easily draw Finnish consumers to offshore or unauthorized gambling services. This type of marketing not only informs consumers about available gambling options but may also encourage higher levels of participation, potentially worsening gambling-related issues.
Wallinvirta explained that “the marketing of gambling games not only conveys information about the range of games available, but it can also increase awareness of gambling service providers, the availability and demand for gambling games and encourage people to start or continue playing.”
A survey conducted in the spring indicated that Finnish residents view blocking payments to unlicensed gambling sites as the most effective tool to combat illegal gambling.
The respondents discussed strategies to tackle unlicensed operators and expressed concerns that overseas gambling offers are attracting players away from licensed domestic platforms like Veikkaus.
Finland currently maintains a tightly regulated gambling market, characterized by a national monopoly where Veikkaus Oy is the sole authorized gambling marketer on the mainland. However, this monopoly is set to expire next year, as the country plans to liberalize its gambling market for operators starting in July 2027.
Last month, the National Police Board reported a significant increase in applications for the forthcoming liberalized market, receiving 75 applications compared to 50 in June.
In July of the previous year, Jarkko Nordlund, the iGaming EVP at Veikkaus, commented, “The competition will be fierce when the market opens, so we must be very competitive. Our aim is to challenge the mentality of our current position, so we need to secure market leadership.”
