Gambling Laws in Finland

Gambling in Finland is considered to be legal in all of its variety. The Finnish gambling laws, in particular, the Lotteries Act (1047/2001) with its amendments, is the main regulatory act of all online gambling activities in the country. Until 2017, other regulatory acts included the Government Decrees on Games operated by Fintoto Oy (1286/2011), the Government Decrees on Games operated by Veikkaus Oy (1288/2011) and the Government Decrees on Games operated by Finland’s Slot Machine Association, RAY (Raha-automaattiyhdistys) (1287/2011). However, the gambling operations were merged into one company Veikkaus Ltd. - a state monopoly as well. In the Åland Islands, the gaming sector is operated by PAF. The regulatory body of the land-based, as well as online gambling activities in the country, is the Ministry of Interior with its National Police Board. The authorized department for gambling within these institutions is the Gambling Administration Department which supervises the functioning of the gambling sector as well as the organization of fundraising campaigns, non-profit lotteries, etc. According to Finnish gambling laws, minors under 18 years of age are prohibited to participate in gambling activities.  

Is Online Gambling Legal in Finland? Yes. All forms of online gambling are legal in Finland, according to the Lotteries Act.

Online Casinos in Finland

Online casinos in Finland amount to the state-owned Veikkaus site. Gamblers can choose to play a variety of games belonging to several categories: slot games, table games as well as video poker. There are strict regulations regarding the playing on casino sites in Finland, so a required registration is needed for participating in any of the online gambling games on the site.

Online Poker in Finland

Since there are no specific Finnish online poker laws, the general regulation applies for this game too, which makes online poker legal in the country. However, the only provider of online poker in Finland is, again, the state-run Veikkaus website, whose offer of poker rooms is quite limited in comparison to the ones of specialized poker sites.

Online Lottery in Finland

The Lotteries Act does not refer to specific Finnish online lottery laws but is a legal framework for the regulation of all the gambling in the country. This comes from the fact that in Finland gambling is considered to be a form of lottery and not the other way around. However, if we stick to the common definition of lotto games, online lottery in Finland can only be played on the Veikkaus website. The Viking Lotto, which is organized as a collaboration of several national lotteries including the Finnish is one of the most popular online lotto games not only in the country but also in the whole Scandinavian region.  

Online Bingo in Finland

Although there are no specific Finnish online bingo laws, the regulations derived from the Lotteries Act, serve as a basic legal framework within which Veikkaus offers its bingo products as the only online bingo in Finland. On their website, one can choose a variety of bingo games for playing such as Kultakuume, Smaragdi, and Timantti. In compliance with the Finnish gambling laws, mandatory registration and identification before playing on the site are required.

Online Sports Betting in Finland

Online sports betting in the country is also regulated by the Lotteries Act. The only online sportsbook site in Finland was for a long time run by Fintoto Oy. However, since April 2017, all totalizator and betting games were transferred to the Veikkaus website, which provides a wide variety of possibilities for betting such as fixed odd betting, live betting, totalizator games, etc. Online DFS in Finland Online DFS sites in Finland are not regulated, although there is an ongoing debate on the status of this type of game. But considering the legality of online sports betting in the country it is very likely that internet Daily Fantasy Sports would soon receive legal status in Finland.