The application period for the Finnish online gambling license opens in just 155 days. During the summer Finnish police board launched and completed the consultation process with industry stakeholders on the following topics:
• License application
• Randomness inspections
• Reliability and information security systems
• Electronic authentication of game events
• Reporting obligations
• Supervisory fees
(in Finnish language learn more)
Finnplay has been actively involved in the consultation process, and will be giving more feedback to the government on areas that involve technology and delivery, including the license application process and the electronic authentication.
With this consultation round the authorities have provided some insights for operators planning to apply for the license in Finland. According to the Police board by January 1, 2026, operators will need to have the following in place:
• Basic corporate information
• Organizational info
• Information on which license will be applied (ie, which verticals)
• Platform provider
• Initial marketing plan (ie where, how, etc...)
• Brand names
• How to solve conflicts with clients and numberof trained personnel
• Planned actions against match fixing
• How to fulfill requirements for AML
And application needs to be done in Finnish or Swedish language.
The important take away from the partnership point of view is that operators now have only 5 months left to select their key technology provider if they wish to start the application on day 1. Typically the process of investigation, negotiation and selection of a platform is lengthy, so operators are well advised to begin that process now if they haven't already.
As operators know, the first brands to enter the market have the best chance at capturing a healthy market share, so it always pays to be early - especially with such lengthy and bureaucratic processes. Finnplay has already signed a handful of LOIs with operators committing to work together in Finland and is encouraging its current and new partners to begin actively locking in their future partnerships ahead of the incoming deadline.