Finland’s New Gambling Legislation: A Step Forward, With Room for Improvement

05.09.2024

Finland’s proposed change to its online gambling legislation marks a significant milestone in European gambling regulation. Finland is the last EU country with a monopoly system for online gambling, and its shift towards a multi-licensing approach is a positive change. It finally brings it into line with the rest of the EU countries who all already have some form of licensing framework for online gambling.

At EGBA, we support the newly proposed legislation, which we’ve advocated for years. Experience shows that a monopoly doesn’t work in the online world, and consumers are best served and protected in a well-regulated but competitive environment, where safety tools such as deposit limits and self-exclusion are made available to players.

While Finland’s proposal is heading in the right direction, some areas require some fine-tuning to ensure the new licensing framework achieves its goal of ensuring Finns play with locally licensed websites.

For starters, the proposed marketing restrictions, especially the ban on affiliate marketing and social media advertising, might backfire. These channels play a key role in guiding consumers to licensed, regulated platforms. Without them, players will drift to black market websites that don’t follow Finnish regulations or prioritise consumer safety.

Also, the proposed blanket ban on bonuses is concerning. While we support setting boundaries on bonusing, a complete prohibition will simply make any newly licensed operators less competitive against unlicensed ones. This risks pushing players towards unregulated sites, undermining the very consumer protections the legislation aims to establish and strengthen.

In our response to the government’s recent consultation, EGBA suggests two key improvements:

Bring affiliates into the regulatory framework and allow social media advertising under clear rules. Both are valuable tools for channelling players towards licensed operators. By implementing clear guidelines, such as mandatory safer gambling messages, Finland can harness the power of these marketing channels while maintaining high standards of consumer protection.
Instead of banning bonuses outright, implement guidelines for their responsible use. For instance, a nuanced approach could involve prohibiting bonuses for players showing signs of problematic behaviour, or setting clear rules on when and how bonuses can be offered. This strategy would allow operators to compete more effectively with unlicensed sites who will undoubtedly use bonuses to try to entice Finnish players away from regulated websites.

These changes would better align Finland’s approach with the successful models seen across the EU, striking a balance between market competitiveness and robust consumer protection.

Transitioning to a licensed market is no small feat, but it’s one that ultimately benefits everyone involved. At EGBA we are ready to share our expertise and support Finland in creating a well-regulated, competitive, and safe online gambling market.

Finland stands at a pivotal moment in the history of its gambling regulation. By crafting a successful online gambling framework, Finland, like its neighbours Denmark and Sweden, can successfully transition from its monopoly to a well-functioning licensing system. Denmark’s transition to multi−licensing in 2012 led to a significant improvement in online channelisation, reaching well over 90 per cent. Sweden has seen similar improvements.

Addressing the concerns about marketing restrictions and bonus regulations is crucial to ensure the new legislation achieves its objectives, safeguarding Finnish consumers while fostering a healthy, well-regulated online gambling environment.

By Maarten Haijer, Secretary General, European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA).

About EGBA

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) is the Brussels-based trade association representing the leading online gambling operators established, licensed, and regulated within the EU, including bet365, Betsson Group, Entain, Evoke, Flutter, and Kindred Group, while Aircash and Sumsub are associate members. EGBA works together with national and EU authorities and other stakeholders towards a well-regulated and well-channelled online gambling market which provides a high level of consumer protection and takes account of the realities of the internet and online consumer demand. EGBA members meet the highest regulatory standards and together possess 267 online gambling licenses to serve 32.5 million customers across 22 different European countries. They represent approximately one-third of Europe’s online gambling gross gaming revenue (GGR).