Veikkaus, Finland’s state-owned gambling operator, is poised to launch a new consumer brand named Viabet, marking its first foray beyond Finnish borders. The initiative, announced on Thursday, will debut simultaneously in both Finland and Denmark through a commercial partnership with Viaplay Denmark and Viaplay Finland.
This launch represents Veikkaus’s first direct business-to-consumer (B2C) gaming brand operation outside its home country. Previously, the company's international activities were limited to its B2B subsidiary, Fennica Gaming, formed in 2022, which offers Finnish gaming technology and services across 21 countries.
Viabet is set to go live on July 1, 2027, in both Finland and Denmark.
Olli Sarekoski, Veikkaus’s president and CEO, called the launch a "significant strategic step," underscoring the company's commitment to growing its international presence. He stated that the collaboration with Viaplay will help Veikkaus create a "differentiated offering," improve its competitiveness in open markets, and lay the groundwork for a scalable consumer business that leverages Finnish expertise.
The partnership will combine Veikkaus’s gaming technology and commitment to responsible gaming with Viaplay’s strong sports content and market reach in Scandinavia. Veikkaus plans to incorporate select Viaplay media content and utilize its sports data to enhance the sports coverage available through Viaplay.
Executives from Viaplay expressed enthusiasm for the partnership as well. Lars Bo Jeppesen, CEO of Viaplay Denmark, acknowledged Veikkaus’s ambitious goals and expertise, which he believes are well-suited for the Danish market, highlighting responsible gaming as integral to their strategy. "We are delighted that Veikkaus sees Viaplay as the right partner to support those ambitions," he stated, appreciating Viaplay's robust portfolio of live sports and effective commercial partnership strategy.
Mikael Svensson, CEO of Viaplay Finland, pointed to the successful collaboration in Finnish sports production as a foundation for expanding into a commercial agreement with Viabet. He remarked, "We are proud to support Veikkaus’ ambitions for Viabet with our strong sports portfolio, production expertise and knowledge of the Finnish market."
Veikkaus’s move into international branded consumer products marks a significant departure from its history as a state-controlled monopoly. Jonas Reuter, EVP of international business at Veikkaus, linked this new direction to recent liberalization efforts in the Finnish money gaming market, which he called a major growth opportunity. He stated that Viabet would allow Veikkaus to apply its recognized expertise to develop a scalable consumer product in selected international arenas.
The shift in Finland's gaming market took a meaningful step forward last week when the National Police Board revealed that twelve companies had received gambling licenses. As of October 26, 79 applications for gambling licenses had been made, with twelve granted and none denied. Although Veikkaus itself was not listed by the regulator, it has submitted an application. The company will continue to hold a monopoly on lottery, scratchcards, and land-based gaming machines when the market finally opens up.
