Finland grants first gambling licences under new regulatory framework

Finland’s Finnish National Police Board has granted the first gambling licences under the country’s new regulatory framework, marking a key step in the shift toward a competitive gambling market scheduled to open on 1 July 2027.

In a parallel development, The Finnish Gambling Harm and Risk Assessment Group, operating in connection with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, has updated its player protection recommendations under the new Gambling Act. The revised recommendations are dated 5 October 2026 and, according to the document summary, soften several intervention measures proposed in the January consultation draft while retaining annual deposit limits, mandatory breaks and additional safeguards for young adults.

The guidance is not legally binding, and the revised document states that operators remain responsible for defining their own player protection procedures. However, it is intended to support the supervisory authority’s assessment of compliance, which makes it relevant to operators preparing market entry.

Among the most notable changes, the January draft’s proposed account freezes at €100 and €200 in monthly losses are replaced by informational messages at €50, €100 and €200 directing players to assessment tools, gambling history, management tools and self-exclusion information. Deposit-based freezing recommendations are also removed; instead, operators are advised to show total deposits over the prior 30 days and 12 months at the point of deposit, with added information at €100 in monthly deposits. The proposed €5,000 annual loss limit is replaced by a recommendation to contact the player personally “without delay” and provide self-exclusion information, while the €5,000 annual deposit limit remains with the possibility of an increase.

The updated model also proposes consent- or contract-based automated restrictions (including breaks and freezes) for losses between €200 and €5,000, while noting the need to assess the legal basis, including how GDPR rules on automated decision-making interact with the Gambling Act’s prohibition on restricting gambling “based solely on automated processing of personal data.” Other changes include simplified login-based interventions and revised game-count notifications. For players aged 18–19, the model recommends an initial annual deposit limit of €1,800; for those aged 20–24, €2,500, with increases requiring personal contact. A new recommendation calls for continuous monitoring during games’ operating hours to enable prompt intervention by a natural person, with operators defining the maximum delay before intervention.