Veikkaus to launch Viabet in Finland and Denmark in 2027

Veikkaus, Finland's state-owned gambling company, will launch a new gaming brand called Viabet in Finland and Denmark from 1 July 2027. The company announced on 29 October that it has signed a commercial agreement with Viaplay Denmark and Viaplay Finland, the local arms of the Nordic streaming and sports broadcaster. Viabet will be "developed, owned and operated by Veikkaus", according to the release. The gambling business is Veikkaus' own; Viaplay contributes its sports brand and selected media content.

It is the first time Veikkaus will offer its games directly to consumers outside Finland. Until now its international business has been business-to-business: its subsidiary Fennica Gaming, set up in 2022, supplies gaming technology to customers in 21 countries.

What the deal covers

Under the agreement, Veikkaus will combine "agreed elements" of Viaplay's selected media content with its own gaming technology, customer experience and responsible-gambling work. In the other direction, Veikkaus will supply sports data and analytics to enrich Viaplay's sports coverage. The release argues that "in sports betting, content plays a key role in customer appeal and competitiveness".

"This partnership is more than a single commercial agreement. It is a strategic investment in Veikkaus' future," said Olli Sarekoski, President and CEO of Veikkaus. Lars Bo Jeppesen, CEO of Viaplay Denmark, said Veikkaus has "the expertise to succeed in the Danish market", and Mikael Svensson, CEO of Viaplay Finland, pointed to the existing cooperation between the two companies in Finnish sports production.

What has not been announced

The release does not say which products Viabet will offer, what the site will look like or under which Danish licence it will operate. The release gives no financial terms or length of the agreement (as of 29 October).

Why 1 July 2027 matters

The launch date matches the opening of Finland's own market. Finland's online gambling market opens to licensed competitors on 1 July 2027, ending Veikkaus' monopoly on online casino and betting. Finland's National Police Board had granted 12 licences from 79 applications by 26 October, and at that point Veikkaus' own application was still pending. Among the licence holders already announced are Hippos ATG and Wildz Group.

So from next summer Veikkaus will face licensed competition at home for the first time and enter Denmark as a newcomer, with Viabet as its new brand in both markets. Jonas Reuter, Veikkaus' EVP for international business, said the opening of the Finnish market "creates a significant growth opportunity" and that Viabet lets the company turn its expertise into "a scalable consumer business in selected markets".

There is also a Danish detail to watch. Denmark's government tabled bill L 37 in October, which would ban gambling ads from 10 minutes before to 10 minutes after live sports broadcasts, with the marketing rules applying from 1 July 2027. If it passes in that form, a gambling brand that draws on a sports broadcaster's content would launch on the same day those limits start.