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Finland’s Parliament approved, in a second reading on 16 December, legislation that would dismantle the country’s long-standing state monopoly in gambling and replace it with a licensing-based model for parts of the market. The reform is designed to open regulated access for private operators while keeping some activities under monopoly control, according to the government’s reform framework.
If the bill is finally adopted, the application window for operator licences is set to open on 1 March 2026, with the reformed market scheduled to go live on 1 July 2027. The draft now awaits final confirmation and the President’s ratification before it can be enacted.
Timeline: from parliamentary vote to market launch
Under the planned schedule, Finland would begin accepting licence applications on 1 March 2026, giving regulators and prospective licensees more than a year to prepare before the market officially opens on 1 July 2027. Industry coverage of the parliamentary vote has described the latest timetable as a staged rollout rather than an immediate switch-over.
The government has framed the broader reform as part of a multi-year project led by the Ministry of the Interior, with the legislative package intended to move Finland toward a competitive, licence-based system while strengthening oversight and steering consumers toward regulated offerings.
What changes and what happens next
Finland’s current model is anchored by state-controlled provision of gambling, historically dominated by Veikkaus. The reform plan would partially open the market to competition through licensing, reflecting the government’s stated goal of restructuring how online gambling is offered and supervised.
The immediate next step is political rather than operational: the bill must receive its final approval and be signed by the President. Only after ratification will authorities be able to proceed with the formal licensing process and detailed implementation leading up to the 2027 launch.
Source: https://www.eduskunta.fi/FI/vaski/KasittelytiedotValtiopaivaasia/Sivut/HE_16+2025.aspx#Lahetekeskustelu
