The European Gaming and Betting Association has welcomed plans in Finland to scrap the monopoly system and put in place a licensing approach.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of the Interior formally announced the plan to reform Finland’s gambling regulation including igaming and sports betting.
The EGBA’s secretary general, Maarten Haijer, said the move is a “welcome step towards meaningful and overdue gambling reform in Finland.”
“The introduction of multi-licensing would provide greater choice and safeguards to Finnish consumers, ensure fairer competition between operators and enable the Finnish authorities to have greater control over their online gambling market,” he added.
“With these changes of the Finnish legislation, all member states of the EU will now have some form of licensing regime for online gambling. We look forward to continuing dialogue with the Finnish Government and local stakeholders as the regulatory discussions develop.”
It is hoped the new system will come into force in 2026.
Velipekka Nummikoski, the deputy CEO of Finland’s monopoly operator Veikkaus, said he is giving his “full support” to the project and its “ambitious schedule.”
“The government program has set clear starting points for the reform and it is good to proceed with them,” Nummikoski continued.
“Hopefully, a system will be created that effectively channels gambling into the licensed supply.”
