Finland is preparing to usher in competitive online gambling in January 2026 as it moves away from its legacy monopoly model and the monopoly operator Veikkaus competes against licensed operators for market share across both online sports betting and gaming.  

The sector had been unsure where horseracing betting would lie in the regulation, as prior to reregulation it was offered exclusively by the monopoly.  

In a statement noting its final decision on horseracing betting, Finland Ministry of the Interior said state funding would support breeding and developments in the horse racing sector.  

“In the future, through the state budget, support will be allocated to breeding, horse industry operator-specific advice and the development of the competition system,” the statement said.  

Industry was unsure where horseracing betting would fall  

Local consultant Jari Vähänen told iGB in July that there was no mention of whether horseracing betting would remain under the monopoly in the draft regulations. These were released on 3 July.  

“It’s another story, on what will happen for horseracing, right now it’s on the monopoly side,” Vähänen said at the time. “I know the horseracing industry is lobbying heavily to move to the license-based system. If that happens, I suppose that horseracing betting will be also allowed in retail salons.” 

Then on 16 October, Mika Kuismanen, CEO of Finnish online gambling trade body Rahapeliala Ry, told iGB the Ministry for the Interior was in the final stages of preparing the legislation before sending it off to the EC.  

He said horseracing betting and the launch date for the open market were the final two decisions left for the government, and a cross-party committee, to make.  

The Ministry for the Interior confirmed in its statement that 1 January 2026 would remain the open sector’s launch date. “Finland’s gambling system will be reformed and opened to competition with a license model no later than 1 January 2026,” it said.  

On sending its regulation to the EC, the ministry said: “The purpose of the procedure is to get possible feedback from the Commission and other EU member states on the proposal’s consistency with EU legislation and the principles of free movement.

“The government’s proposal is to be presented to the parliament in the spring session of 2025,”

In July, the government said it aimed to present the final draft to parliament in February 2025 and launch the market fully in January 2027.

“We will likely have the law approved [by parliament] before midsummer (June 2025),” Kuismanen said previously.