Finland outlines path to regulation

It is official, Finland is on its way to creating a licensing model for online gaming.  

Four parties reached a mutual understanding with a government program at the end of last week and the full program was published on Friday 16th of June.  The full program is available in Finnish and Swedish in here: https://kuvapankki.valtioneuvosto.fi/l/88PZvqzQ6hVG (page 107). In English there is only a summary available at this moment.  

In the program it is stated that Finland will move into licensing model at the latest 1.1.2026. With a few more details. The key points to highlight are: 

Target: Reduce gaming related harm (social, health, economical) and improve channelization.  

Supervision: Without details the program outlines the need for a strong regulator and states that the resources for fighting gaming related harm will be ensured on both public and 3rd sector 

Marketing: Program outlines clear boundaries for marketing, but states at the same time that marketing is the way to improve channelization. 

Next steps: There will be a central self-exclusion database and as a final statement, the program says that the model needs to be based on extensive research and study/studies.  

Thus, there is still plenty to be done before the licensing model is in use and therefore the timeline of “at the latest by 1.1.2026”. However, if you are interested in the Finnish market, I recommend starting to follow the developments already now as it is clear that the process and solutions for AML, RG, marketing and technical requirements need to be top-notch.  

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