Finland Gambling Licence Application Window (2026)
50 applications received by 8 June 2026, over a year before licensed gambling can begin
Last verified: 2026-09-28
Finland opened gambling licence applications on 1 March 2026, more than a year ahead of the Gambling Act's main 1 July 2027 start date. By 8 June 2026 the National Police Board had received 50 applications, mostly from foreign companies.
Finland Gambling Licence Application Window (2026)
Overview
Although Finland's new Gambling Act applies mainly from 1 July 2027, gambling companies could start applying for a licence over a year earlier, from 1 March 2026, when a limited set of the Act's provisions took effect. The National Police Board's Gambling Administration processes applications on a rolling basis, with no deadline and no cap on the number of gambling licences it can grant. It charged a processing fee of EUR 29,000 per application in 2026 and, as of 8 June 2026, had received 50 applications, most of them from companies based outside Finland — an early signal of international operator interest in the newly opening competitive market.
A licence granted during this window does not let a company operate in Finland before 1 July 2027: it only puts the company in a position to launch when the Act's main provisions, and the new Finnish Supervisory Agency's supervision, take effect. Trade press has suggested the first licences may be granted during spring 2027, based on the Board's roughly six-month target processing time, though this is the outlet's own inference rather than a regulator announcement.
Licence application window, 2026
| Metric | Value | Verified against primary source |
|---|---|---|
| Applications received (as of 8 June 2026) | 50 | ✓ |
| Processing fee per application (2026) | EUR 29,000 | ✓ |
| Target processing time | About 6 months | ✓ |
| Application deadline | None (continuous process) | ✓ |
| Cap on number of gambling licences | None | ✓ |
| Licensing authority until 30 June 2027 | National Police Board | ✓ |
| Licensing authority from 1 July 2027 | Finnish Supervisory Agency (Lupa- ja valvontavirasto) | ✓ |
Application figures, fee and process, as of 8 June 2026. [1]
Key facts
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Verified
Gambling companies could submit licence applications from 1 March 2026, ahead of the Act's main entry into force on 1 July 2027; a limited set of the Act's provisions applied from 1 March 2026.
Sisäministeriö (Ministry of the Interior), Poliisihallitus (National Police Board), Edilex
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Verified
Until 30 June 2027 the National Police Board is the competent licensing authority; from 1 July 2027 licensing and supervision under the Gambling Act pass to the new Finnish Supervisory Agency (Lupa- ja valvontavirasto).
Sisäministeriö (Ministry of the Interior), Sisäministeriö (Ministry of the Interior), Poliisihallitus (National Police Board)
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Verified
The National Police Board charged a processing fee of EUR 29,000 per gambling licence application in 2026, invoiced after receipt and payable before processing begins; there is no application deadline (the application process is continuous) and the Police now give a target processing time of six to eight months and warn that it may take longer (about six months was stated as of 8 June 2026).
Poliisihallitus (National Police Board), Sisäministeriö (Ministry of the Interior), Poliisihallitus (National Police Board)
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Verified
As of 8 June 2026 the National Police Board's Gambling Administration had received 50 gambling licence applications, most of them from foreign applicants.
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Verified
Licences granted before 1 July 2027 do not allow licensed gambling in Finland before that date: the first gambling licences take effect on 1 July 2027, when licensed companies can begin operations.
Poliisihallitus (National Police Board), Sisäministeriö (Ministry of the Interior)
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Verified
The National Police Board assesses an applicant's reliability and suitability from submitted documents such as registry extracts, certificates and statements, and may request additional information, for example on the finances of companies connected to the applicant.
Poliisihallitus (National Police Board), Poliisihallitus (National Police Board)
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Verified
The National Police Board issued regulation 8/2026, Rahapelilain mukaisten toimilupien hakeminen (applying for licences under the Gambling Act), dated 11 February 2026.
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Unverified
Trade press expects the first licences to be granted during spring 2027, based on the Board's roughly six-month processing time and the flow of applications; this is the outlet's inference, not a regulator announcement.
Sources
- Poliisihallitus (National Police Board)Primary source — Rahapelitoimiluvat kiinnostavat rahapeliyhtiöitä (8 June 2026) — https://poliisi.fi/-/rahapelitoimiluvat-kiinnostavat-rahapeliyhtioita