Finland Grants First 18 Gambling Licences as 63 Applications Await Approval.
Finland has approved its first 18 gambling licences under the country’s new Gambling Act, with another 63 applications still awaiting regulatory decisions.
The National Police Board (NPB) published the list of approved companies on 29 October 2026, marking another step towards the opening of Finland’s regulated online gambling market on 1 July 2027.
The approved licences will remain valid from 1 July 2027 until 30 June 2032, unless otherwise specified.
The latest announcement follows an earlier update on 26 October, when the regulator confirmed 12 approvals from 79 applications. Six additional companies have since secured licences, bringing the total number of applications to 81.
Finland Names Its First 18 Licensed Gambling Operators
The National Police Board has published the names and licence numbers of the first 18 companies approved to operate under the new regulatory framework.
The approved licence holders are:
| Company | Licence number |
|---|---|
| Cloudberry Ent Limited | RALU/2027/L101 |
| KuuFlip Limited | RALU/2027/L102 |
| Nivei Ursi Limited | RALU/2027/L103 |
| RocketLily Ent Limited | RALU/2027/L104 |
| SixthSpin Limited | RALU/2027/L105 |
| YTBlue Limited | RALU/2027/L106 |
| Granturo Finland Ltd | RALU/2027/L107 |
| Hippos ATG Oy | RALU/2027/L108 |
| Skill On Net Ltd | RALU/2027/L109 |
| Sunflower Gaming Limited | RALU/2027/L110 |
| SuomiVeto Oy | RALU/2027/L111 |
| Roi Roger Limited | RALU/2027/L112 |
| UnionJack Limited | RALU/2027/L113 |
| Buccone Trading Limited | RALU/2027/L114 |
| Benelongs Ltd | RALU/2027/L115 |
| Stare Straight Ltd | RALU/2027/L116 |
| Pot Luck Club Ltd | RALU/2027/L117 |
| Amber Entertainment Finland Ltd | RALU/2027/L118 |
The six latest additions are Roi Roger, UnionJack, Benelongs, Stare Straight, Pot Luck Club and Amber Entertainment Finland.
Several international gaming companies have also announced their licensing approvals.
Wildz Group became the first operator to announce its approval on 15 October 2026. Hippos ATG followed on 19 October. SkillOnNet and SuomiVeto have also confirmed their approvals.
Hippos ATG is a joint venture between Swedish gambling operator ATG and Finnish trotting association Suomen Hippos.
Meanwhile, SuomiVeto was established by BetCity.nl founders Melvin Bostelaar and Joey Singels.
Read Also : Altenar to Power Wildz Group’s Entry into Finland’s Regulated Betting Market.
63 Gambling Licence Applications Remain Pending
Interest in Finland’s upcoming gambling market continues to grow, with the National Police Board receiving 81 applications by 29 October 2026.
Of these, 18 have been approved, while 63 remain under review.
The application process opened on 1 March 2026, with the regulator reporting 50 applications by 8 June.
The number increased to 75 by 22 September before reaching 79 on 26 October.
The latest figures indicate that applications are not necessarily equivalent to individual gambling operators, as some corporate groups have submitted applications through multiple companies.
Each application also attracts a processing fee of €29,000 in 2026.
Why Finland’s Licensing Process Is Taking Longer
The National Police Board estimates that processing a gambling licence application takes between six and eight months.
Applications are assessed in the order they are received, with the regulator citing the volume of documentation required as one of the main factors affecting processing times.
A significant proportion of applicants are foreign companies. Unlike Finnish businesses, which can have much of their background information verified through domestic registers, international applicants must submit additional official documents themselves.
Juho Puisto, senior adviser at the National Police Board’s Gambling Administration, explained that applications from foreign companies require extensive supporting documentation.
Some applications can contain hundreds of pages, while differences in official documents across jurisdictions may require additional clarification from applicants.
The regulator initially estimated a processing period of three to six months when applications opened. However, the expected timeframe has since increased to six to eight months.
Finland’s Regulated Gambling Market Opens in July 2027
The approval of a gambling licence does not automatically allow an operator to launch its services.
Under Finland’s new regulatory framework, approved companies can begin offering and marketing gambling products from 1 July 2027, provided they have completed the required audits and connected their systems to the National Police Board’s supervision infrastructure.
The country is moving away from its traditional gambling monopoly towards a licensing system that will allow private companies to compete in selected online gambling segments.
Under the new framework, private operators will be able to offer licensed online betting and casino products.
However, state-owned Veikkaus will retain its exclusive rights over certain gambling activities, including lotteries, scratchcards and land-based gambling machines.
The company will continue operating under the existing monopoly framework until the transition takes effect at the end of June 2027.
Finnish Supervisory Agency to Take Over Regulation
The National Police Board will remain responsible for licensing and supervision during the transition period.
From July 2027, the Finnish Supervisory Agency is expected to assume responsibility for licensing and regulatory oversight under the new system.
There is currently no application deadline or legal limit on the number of companies that can receive gambling licences.
The National Police Board expects to make additional decisions as it continues reviewing the outstanding applications.
With 63 applications still pending, Finland’s regulated gambling market could attract more international operators before its official launch.
Competition Expected to Increase Ahead of Market Opening
The first 18 approvals provide an early indication of the companies preparing to enter Finland’s newly regulated gambling industry.
For international operators and gaming suppliers, the market represents an opportunity to establish partnerships and build their presence ahead of the July 2027 launch.
However, securing a licence is only the first stage. Operators must still satisfy technical, compliance, auditing and player protection requirements before offering services.
As the regulator works through the remaining applications, the number of approved operators is expected to evolve in the months leading up to the market opening.
