Development of the gambling market in mainland Finland 

Veikkaus Oy has the exclusive right to operate gambling in mainland Finland. In 2021, the gross gaming revenue (GGR) of exclusive gambling was EUR 1,100.1 million, a decrease of 12.7% compared to the previous year. 51.4% of the GGR was generated through electronic distribution channels.

Assessment of the development of online gambling by Finns outside mainland Finland

The National Police Board Gambling Administration monitors the development of the gambling market through several different sources.

In mainland Finland, Veikkaus Oy's exclusive right to offer gambling also applies to electronic distribution channels where players can participate in games, for example via the internet or various mobile applications. Finnish law does not prohibit players from participating in other online gambling games, while offering them to Finland is in violation of the Finnish the Lottery Act.

Over the past 10 years, these offshore non-exclusive online gambling games have accounted for about 30% of the GGR in the mainland Finnish online gambling market. This part also includes gambling directed to the Åland Autonomous Region, so the share of gambling directed outside the entire territory of Finland is even smaller.

The Gambling Administration's estimate of GGR for online gambling outside Finland is currently approximately EUR 200 million. According to the Åland Autonomous Region, the size of the mainland Finnish offshore market is well below EUR 300 million. The size of the offshore market is estimated to have remained more or less unchanged over the years.

Sources and methods used in the assessment

The public often refers to estimates made by the British market monitoring and analysis company H2 Gambling Capital on the development of the gambling market in Finland and elsewhere in the world.

The Gambling Administration also has access to the data and forecasts produced by H2GC. In addition to these, e.g. the results of various surveys, the interim reports of listed offshore companies, data on the development of network traffic and the assessments of market developments provided by the regulatory authorities of other countries.

The estimate of the stagnation of the mainland Finnish offshore market in recent years is mainly based on the information published by the most important offshore operators in their interim reports on the reversal of GGR growth in the Nordic countries. In addition, e.g. the results of extensive population surveys commissioned by Veikkaus Oy, according to which the share of the adult population playing online offshore gambling has remained practically unchanged between 2017 and 2020.

Estimate updated April 12, 2022.