Finland’s state-controlled gambling operator aims to become global player

Veikkaus plans to go international as it loses its monopoly on online gambling at home.

Finland. The Finnish state-owned gambling operator Veikkaus has revealed that it intends to seek opportunities in overseas markets as it prepares for competition in online gambling in Finland.

Founded in 1940, Veikkaus currently has a monopoly over gambling in Finland. The new Finnish Gambling Act will bring that to an end in July 2027, at least when it comes to online gambling. Veikkaus will retain its monopoly on the Finnish national lottery and land-based gambling, but Finland’s online gambling market will be opened to licensed competition.

The application window for online gambling licences in Finland opened this month. Paf and Hippos ATG Oy, the joint venture between the Swedish horseracing betting operator ATG and the Finnish trotting organisation Suomen Hippos, have confirmed that they are submitting applications to the National Police Board’s Lottery Administration.

Now Veikkaus has revealed that as part of its plans to adapt to the changes at home it intends to expand its international presence. It already sells games abroad via its B2B studio Fennica Gaming, which operates in 17 markets across three continents. However, the operator’s recent 2025 report suggests that it now plans to position Veikkaus itself as a global gaming brand.

“In line with our vision, we want to evolve from a national gaming company into a successful player also on the international stage and strengthen our competitiveness in an increasingly global market,” the report says. “Our goal is to be a respected and successful international money gaming group by 2030.”

What exactly that means remains to be seen since the company hasn’t made it exactly clear whether this plan involves expanding its B2B offerings or whether it intends to apply for B2C licences to operate gambling abroad. It also remains to be seen how well the Veikkaus brand would work outside of its native Finland. The operator has put a big emphasis on player safety at home, introducing tight loss limits and other measures, often voluntarily.

As for its 2025 financials, Veikkaus reported revenue of €936m, down 2.4% from €959m the previous year. Operating profit fell to €431m, while its final profit stood at €447m, down from €472m in 2024. Lottery games continue to account for over half of total revenue at €497m, while land-based gaming generated €142m and online casino and betting brought in €292m

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See also: Finland online gambling licensing process opens