Key points
- Wildz Group said on 15 October 2026 that Finland’s National Police Board gave it permission to offer gambling for five years from 1 July 2027.
- Wildz says it is the first operator cleared; the board has not published decisions on individual applications.
- The board has issued four prohibition decisions and six conditional fines on gambling marketing in 2026 so far.
- Conditional fines on companies range from €100,000 to €1.2m.
- Veikkaus Oy keeps its monopoly until the end of June 2027.
Malta-based Wildz Group said on 15 October 2026 that Finland’s National Police Board has given it a formal letter granting permission to offer gambling to Finnish players for five years from 1 July 2027, when the licensed market opens. Wildz describes it as the first Finland gambling licence awarded to an operator.
The Finland gambling licence
According to Wildz Group’s announcement, the letter from the board is dated 15 October 2026. The group holds Malta Gaming Authority licences. European Gaming reported that the board has not published decisions on individual applications, so the first-to-be-cleared claim rests on Wildz’s own disclosure.
“We’re excited about this milestone and what it represents for the future of Wildz Group.”
Sam Brown, CEO, Wildz Group
The board began accepting applications on 1 March 2026 and had received 75 by 22 September, up from 50 reported in June, according to European Gaming. Each applicant pays a non-refundable processing fee of €29,000. Parliament approved the new Gambling Act on 16 December 2025 by 158 votes to nine, and the president signed it on 16 January 2026.
Veikkaus Oy keeps exclusivity over lotteries, scratch cards and land-based casino gaming. Updates on the process are collected under Finland coverage, and wider licensing stories sit in iGaming regulation news.
Fines before the opening
The board announced on 14 October 2026 that it has issued four prohibition decisions and ordered six conditional fines in 2026 so far, more than in earlier years, European Gaming reported. The decisions cover gambling marketing on websites and social media under the Lotteries Act.
Conditional fines set on individuals range from €30,000 to €200,000, and those on companies from €100,000 to €1.2m. Fines ordered to be paid ranged from €20,000 to €100,000, and every one so far fell on an individual, according to the same report. A conditional fine becomes payable only if the party does not comply with the prohibition within the time limit.
“Under existing law, only Veikkaus Oy has the right to market gambling games in mainland Finland.”
Juhani Wallinvirta, head of group, National Police Board
The board has acted against influencers before. In a release of 3 September 2025, it said it had issued two new prohibitions with conditional fines of €30,000 each and ordered a previously imposed €30,000 conditional fine paid by an influencer who kept marketing gambling, mainly on Twitch and Kick. Finland has also blocked payments to blacklisted offshore operators since 2023, European Gaming reported.
Next steps
Veikkaus holds its monopoly until the end of June 2027, and the board stays the licensing authority until then. The Finnish Supervisory Agency takes over licensing and supervision when the market opens on 1 July 2027. Under the new Gambling Act, licensed operators may market on their own websites and social media provided the marketing does not interact with consumers, while influencer marketing and direct marketing by phone are banned, according to European Gaming.
