Finland's gambling marketing bans and fines rise in 2026

Finland's gambling supervisor has issued more marketing prohibitions and fines in 2026 than in earlier years, mostly over gambling promotions on social media and in livestreams. In a release published on 14 October, the National Police Board (Poliisihallitus) said its Gambling Administration has issued four prohibition decisions so far this year and ordered six conditional fines to be paid. It describes the number as "clearly higher than in previous years".

Under current law, only the state-owned Veikkaus Oy may market gambling in mainland Finland. Promoting any other gambling service to Finnish residents breaches the Lotteries Act.

How the fines work

A Finnish marketing ban usually comes with a conditional fine (uhkasakko). The fine is set when the prohibition is issued, but it only has to be paid if the party keeps marketing after the deadline. The board says the amount depends on how serious and wide-ranging the breach is and on the party's ability to pay.

The figures from this year's decisions:

• Fines set alongside prohibitions: €30,000 to €200,000 for individuals, and €100,000 to €1.2 million for companies.
• Fines ordered to be paid: six, all against individuals, between €20,000 and €100,000.

"The purpose of the conditional fine is not to punish illegal activities, but to reinforce compliance with the prohibition decision and to ensure that illegal marketing actually ceases," said Juhani Wallinvirta, Head of Group at the National Police Board.

Why this year's bans matter for 2027 licences

Finland's new Gambling Act (10/2026) opens betting and online casino games to licensed operators on 1 July 2027, when supervision passes from the Police Board to the Lupa- ja valvontavirasto (Finnish Supervisory Agency). According to iGaming Times, the Act's reliability test (section 10) can rule out a licence applicant that received a prohibition for marketing in breach of the Lotteries Act after 1 September 2024 and within two years of the assessment.

The fines ordered paid so far have all been against individuals rather than companies. The board says illegal gambling marketing typically appears on social media platforms and in gambling livestreams.

What this means for players

Nothing changes for players directly: the rules target those who market gambling, not those who play. But the steady stream of bans is a reminder that a casino promoted by a Finnish streamer or influencer is not licensed in Finland until the new system opens in 2027, and that the person promoting it may be breaking the law.

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