Gambling ad surge looms as Finland cuts support for problem gamblers
Wednesday 30th September 2026 on 18:45 in
Finland
Finland’s gambling market is set to open to private companies in July 2027, bringing a sharp rise in advertising and access to gambling as funding cuts threaten organizations that help people with gambling problems, Yle reports.
At least 75 companies have applied for licences, most of them registered in Malta. When the new gambling law takes effect, Veikkaus will lose its exclusive right to run gambling services in Finland, and licensed companies will be able to offer and advertise gambling.
Advertising and sponsorship spending could reach 200 million to 250 million euros in 2027, compared with about 25 million euros a year currently spent by Veikkaus, said Riitta Matilainen, head of the gambling harms unit at EHYT, an organization working on preventive substance-use and gambling harm prevention.
Matilainen said the increase in advertising and availability was likely to increase gambling and related harms. The government’s legislative proposal also recognizes the risk that gambling harms could grow.
At the same time, state funding for social and health organizations is due to fall by about a third next year, to roughly 190 million euros. Matilainen warned that the cuts could put the work of organizations helping people affected by gambling at risk. EHYT is conducting change negotiations, and the jobs of all three staff members in its gambling harms unit are under threat, she said.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health also sees risks, particularly because the licensing system covers digital gambling. Fast-paced online slot machines and online casinos are considered especially high-risk games, said ministry special adviser Mari Pajula.
Under the new law, gambling companies must intervene in problematic gambling behaviour, but it does not define excessive gambling or specify how companies should respond. Pajula said the effectiveness of the measures would be difficult to assess because companies will be responsible for setting out the details.
The law also provides for government grants to prevent and reduce gambling harms, including support for Peluuri, a service that offers help by phone and online. Pajula said it was unclear how practical, face-to-face support would be maintained as demand for help is expected to increase.