【LOTTO Bayern namensänderung】Landmark Finland gambling law begins parliamentary process

The LOTTO Bayern namensänderungbill, drafted by the Ministry of the Interior, will be forwarded to the parliament’s sub-committees where it will be examined and likely amended.

Once this has been completed, the legislature will vote to approve it later in the year, with experts highlighting the broad political consensus behind the bill making this largely a formality.

Finnish gambling law expert Antti Koivula told NEXT.io: “Today, the Finnish government submitted its proposal for the gambling reform to parliament.

“While it has been marked as urgent and is intended to be approved before parliament’s summer recess, I anticipate the process extending into autumn 2025.

Koivula added the new law is scheduled to take effect from 1 January 2026, marking the beginning of the operator licensing process, with the legal market proper to launch the following year.

Meanwhile for B2B providers, licensing will begin at start of 2027, and from 2028 onwards, only licensed suppliers will be authorised to offer their software to legal operators.

Among other provisions, the bill would subject operators to a 22% GGR tax, eventually require B2B licences and establish a new gambling regulator to oversee the market.

Latest twist

The submission of the bill to parliament marks the latest step in a years-long journey to reform Finland’s gambling laws.

This followed long-term concerns that the current monopoly model was failing to capture enough of the overall market from offshore entities.

The bill says: “The government programme states that the current gambling policy has not been successful, as gambling is a significant problem for some Finns.

“The market share of the exclusive system in digital gambling is close to the 50% mark, and companies operating in the digital gambling market outside the exclusive system receive their profits without licence fees, taxes or liability for gambling problems caused by their operations.”

The gambling reform project, launched in October 2023, initially investigated 11 key areas including licensing procedures, taxation, marketing regulations, and measures to prevent gambling-related harm.

The working group, which eventually helped draft the law, included representatives from multiple ministries, the National Police Board, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, and the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority.

The bill underwent a six-week public consultation period ending in August 2024, with feedback solicited from government bodies, municipalities, gambling harm organisations, industry representatives, and media companies.

Malta challenges Finland gambling law

As required by EU regulations, Finland notified the European Commission of the draft laws in November 2024. While the Commission raised no objections, Malta issued a detailed opinion in February 2025.

Finland defended its proposal as compliant with EU case law and made no amendments based on Malta’s concerns, though it did supplement the proposal’s justification.

The mandatory standstill period expired on 4 March, allowing Finland to proceed with the law.

Koivula explained: “Compared to the version notified to the European Commission on 1 November 2024, the bill has expanded by approximately 100 pages.

“However, the core legal provisions remain largely unchanged — most of the additions and revisions pertain to explanatory sections and impact assessments.

“This reform represents a significant milestone in opening Finland’s gambling market to competition while maintaining strong regulatory oversight.

“Businesses looking to enter the Finnish market should start preparing for the upcoming licensing process and stay informed about any legislative adjustments that may arise.”