The Finnish casino landscape in 2022 – Times of Malta

Finland houses just two land-based casinos, but this has not prevented the casino industry from being one of the countrys most popular sectors as Finland is the worlds fifth gambling economy which is rather impressive considering its population of 5,5 million. A lot of those Finns have increasingly shown to rather access their favourite games via online casino websites instead of brick-and-mortar venues. Although the growth of the online casino industry has had many across the globe surprised, most operators have already started targeting Finnish players.

And there are more and more operators from around the world believed to open their services for players based in Finland. The pace of this will depend on the decisions made on a legal level, however, as Finland has been facing a challenging time in recent months that has led to more questions than answers among stakeholders. The gambling space in Finland once had a promising beginning; it started with just the Payazzo machine in the 20s which is a typical Finnish gambling arcade game. The gambling space in Finland has come from far compared to where it stands today, but most importantly, it has seen new laws come into effect earlier this year to better control how users access their preferred markets. Find out how gambling and gambling laws have changed over the years in Finland. Youre about to learn everything about gambling in Finland and its future.

The Parliament in Finland adopted a new gambling law a few days before Christmas 2021, and the law came into force a few weeks later on January 1st, 2022. A few points in the law were granted a transitional period, which is why some of the reforms will only be addressed later, at the latest in 2023. The major changes, however, have already been introduced via what is referred to as the new Lottery Act. The government in the country initially stated that the laws main objective is to help Finland maintain its monopoly system of gambling and at the same time bring down problem behaviours caused by gambling as much as possible. In the past, the de facto goal of the government was meant to optimise the revenue for the countrys economic and finance ministry, but now it seems that this objective plays a smaller role when compared to the importance of responsible gaming. Responsible play now seems to be the biggest challenge of the new gambling law.

In light of the above events, state-owned gambling has got even more importance while offshore gambling companies are expected to be pushed away by the reforms. A major point of interest has to do with marketing and advertising of gaming related activities as the core principle of the gambling law reforms is to restrict advertising for offshore companies in Finland as much as possible. While this was banned in Finland even in the previous law, offshore companies have shown to avoid this ban via social media marketing which now needs to be tackled even more by local gaming authorities. The new Lottery Act applies even stricter rules to assure that non-regulated companies are kept away from promoting their products and services in Finland. The law came into effect within a very short period of time as it was only proposed a few months before, in September 2021.

Since the end of the Second World War the Finnish government has enjoyed a significant monopoly in the gambling sector and it is not likely that this will change any time soon considering its role in the new gambling law. Every stakeholder in the gambling space has to directly answer to the authority of Veikkaus, meaning the industry remains under complete government control for many years, as it has always been. Veikkaus Oy is the state-owned betting agency that holds a status as monopolist in the country and will continue to do so. It was founded in 2017 when three betting and gambling agencies in the country merged: Finland's Slot Machine Association, Veikkaus, and Fintoto. The European Union addressed Finnish authorities multiple times about its policy which is considered as a form of protectionism. This is in opposition with the guidelines of the European Community (EC) that are meant for economic integration among its member states.

The recently introduced Finnish Lottery Act took effect on January 1, 2022 and gives Veikkaus Oy even more control of the market and the way it is marketed towards its target group. Many different adjustments have been made in the law in line with the government's program that is aimed at enforcing Veikkaus' monopoly position in order to supposedly reduce the risks caused by gambling the most important of which are directly marketing and promotion related. In Finland, as from January 2022 it is now forbidden to market any gambling platforms other than Veikkaus Oy. Non-regulated operators that do advertise are expected to face payment blocks. It hasnt been revealed yet how the payment blocks will work in practice or how they are introduced as multiple financial institutions communicated that it is difficult to detect all transactions that are related to gambling activities. According to local experts, gambling related payment blocks arent expected to come into effect before January 1, 2023.

Players based in Finland who are wondering why online casino marketing campaigns have stopped to be shown, will understand by now that this is because of the previously mentioned warnings made by the Finnish government to offshore operators who have largely shown to respect the new rules. This has made the new Lottery Act successful so far when merely considering how it has affected marketing and promotion of foreign, non-regulated brands that still are allowed to market better casino sites in countries like Canada. Although most operators have shown to respect the new marketing rules, it remains unclear how the marketing bans are monitored by the authorities. Promos and offers remain available for Finnish players, but due to advertising bans, players are expected to go after them themselves. Coolbet Casino and Optibet Casino are two of the Finnish Casinos that have stopped advertising in Finland in 2022, but other complete casino groups have decided to do the same. These brands include major names like:

With billions of euros per year being spent on online gambling, the Finnish have worked their way up to become the 5th largest gambling nation in the world. For this exact reason, many online casino operators turned out to be happy to line up and target Finland based players. The best options that are available to Finnish players in 2022 according to local expert online casino web portal Suomalaiset Kasinot are:

Designed for Scandinavian players, Finlandia Casino offers one of the richest and most diverse collections of online slot games to be found on the internet. Available only in Finnish and Swedish, Finlandia Casino is considered a great choice for Finnish players that love to play slot games, table games, and scratchcards. Over 900 games are available in Finlandia Casinos lobby.

Suomikasino is an online casino that is exclusively designed for Finnish players. Suomikasino literally translates into Finland Casino and it has never hidden its goal to become the countrys most preferred casino ever since it went online in 2013. The lobby holds over 1,000 games.

A popular Finnish online casino showing the blues and whites of the Finnish flag which make this one hard to miss for any player in Finland. The colours used make this casino as Finnish as it can get and with a Finnish warrior taking watch on top of a treasure chest, you cant really go wrong here. Kalevala Kasino is an online casino that is targeted at players in Finland, Malta and Estonia.

Some of the newest casinos available in Finland might be recognised by players from other countries in the world as well as the websites youll find below arent exclusively meant for the Finnish market. This might just turn out to be a major advantage for players as these operators already hold other licences that are issued by gaming authorities that have a lot more experience than Finnish institutions that are completely new to the online market. Offshore online casinos tend to have larger game portfolios and bigger bonuses as youre about to discover if you visit (at least) one of the casinos listed below:

Thanks to the introduction of live casinos, the gambling experience has become a lot more realistic and interactive catering for beginners and pros alike in live games like online poker. Via a live video stream players can now view all the action going on, including the game host, game table, and casino floor giving players the ultimate experience. Live dealer lobbies help players bring the ambiance of their favourite brick and mortar casinos to their living room. It doesn't matter whether youre a fan of table games, game shows, or both there are always options available in a live lobby. As the number of Finnish live dealer casinos has increased rapidly, it may be a bit tricky to make the right choice in terms of trustworthiness, bonuses, and user friendliness. Regarding the offer of live games, the best Finnish live casino gaming sites have all the options that can be found in international casinos. Some of todays best live dealer casinos in Finland are:

Casinos can be categorised into all sorts of performance metrics, but mobile play is definitely one of the most important criteria for most players. Three of todays best mobile casinos that are available for Finnish players are:

An authentic Finnish online casino also means that the Finnish language needs to be available and there are lots of options when it comes to websites that use the local language. This gives players from Finland the opportunity to make wagers in their mother tongue and play live games that are hosted by Finnish dealers. Some of todays best options when it comes to Finnish speaking online casinos in Europe are:

Casinos available in Finland are also connected to several international progressive jackpot networks which is why players in the country will also compete for the major prizes once they make their spins on the most popular jackpot slots available in Scandinavia. At the time of writing, these are the biggest jackpots available to Finnish players:

Microgamings WowPot! progressive jackpot has been around for a while now and was originally featured in one of the first online progressive slot games. In 2020, the WowPot! progressive jackpot went through a statistical makeover, and the top tier progressive jackpots now begin with a seeding value of no less than 2 million (which is in fact double that of Mega Moolah). The WowPot! progressive engine also features 3 smaller jackpots: the Mini (starting at 10), the Minor (starting at 100) and the Major (starting at 50,000). The first game to feature the new and improved WowPot! progressive jackpot was Wheel of Wishes, but it wouldnt take long before other games like Book of Atem WowPot! and Sisters of OZ WowPot! were added to the progressive jackpot network.

Mega Moolah is a name that most jackpot slot enthusiasts will be familiar with as it is one of the worlds most famous casino games ever released, not only in terms of jackpots that is. This game by provider Microgaming was released back in 2006 and has managed to break multiple Guinness Book of World records. Most players would almost forget that the game theme takes them to Africa as there is also a lot of buzz going on around this game that isnt related to the game play itself. Although the trip to Africa sounds like a huge adventure, this is not a game to be played for its theme or visuals. Most users only go for this title for its jackpots while they forget about the rest. And its hard to blame them.

The game theme itself comes from Norse mythology and the main characters in the game are the Norse gods Odin, Loki and of course Thor. Clearly, Thor is the most known of all and as youll expect, he has a lot in store for you if youre a little lucky. If Thor happens to be in a good mood, you will end up with 3 bonus symbols in the bonus game. Your mission is to smash a hammer shield and if you manage to do that then a great prize awaits you. With three similar jackpot symbols to be found in Hall of Gods youll have a chance to win the jackpot. In fact, there are even 3 jackpots for you that can lead to millions of euros.

Mega Fortune Dreams is an all-time favourite among many players. This is partly because this is a game that is known to be easy to play and its a lot of fun too. That wont surprise most players as were talking about a NetEnt production here which continues to be one of the worlds leading slot providers. The RTP of 95,9% is slightly below industry average, but not bad for a jackpot slot that pays out millions of euros. At the same time, players have a lot to expect in terms of game entertainment. Mega Fortune Dreams wasn't a completely new game when it came out in 2014 as this is the successor to the Mega Fortune jackpot slot, which was released in 2009 and turned out to be highly successful too as youre about to find out next. Mega Fortune Dreams is offered in many Finnish online casinos.

Is the original Mega Fortune game that was launched in 2009 by NetEnt. Even more than a decade later Mega Fortune remains extremely popular among players from all over the world including those that make their wagers in Finland. According to the developer, its widespread popularity is mainly thanks to the simplicity of the game and the fun bonus game. The bonus round works with a bonus wheel and thus builds up the tension with every spin of the wheel. To win the Mega Fortune jackpot, all the player needs to do is activate the bonus game and you will be taken to the jackpot wheel. If you manage to make it to the innermost wheel, a maximum win of 80,000x awaits you.

Some casinos have their own pros and cons and some just happen to be pretty darn generous when it comes to offering casino bonuses. In Finland there are a few operators that have continued to stand out in recent years and in terms of bonuses we sincerely think the best options are the following online casinos:

Free spins are among the most popular bonuses and a lot of the casino deals awarded in Finland contain free spins. The casino websites listed below give away free spins to either Finnish players that sign up, existing players, or all users. Always make sure to read the terms and conditions for each casino and whether you can make use of the bonus.

The same holds for no deposit bonuses which are extremely popular among players as well as they dont require a deposit and still give players a bonus. This can either be free spins, bonus cash, or a combination of both. As no deposit bonuses dont require a deposit, terms and conditions tend to be slightly stricter. Make sure to check these out.

We highly enjoy everything about online casinos and we believe the Finnish gambling market is one of the most fascinating markets in Europe. This is why we always try to find the newest websites available in Finland of which we hope you enjoy them as much as we did during our reviews. Some of these sites get blacklisted, others get shortlisted, but most operators get evaluated any sooner or later, giving you one of the most complete platforms to learn more about the best Finnish online casinos available. In order to come up with a complete review we work with a large number of performance metrics that we summarised below. Please note that these performance metrics include a lot more specific metrics.

Strong licences are crucial for online casinos while theyre trying to build a strong reputation. A licence will make sure a site is frequently audited and for an online casino to obtain and maintain a licence itll need to meet high standards as most gaming authorities are part of governmental organisations which means they have to follow the local rules and laws at all times. If casinos fail to meet the local laws, they risk losing their licence which means they will need to shut down their operations in that respective jurisdiction. The online casinos we recommend hold a licence and are all audited by independent institutions. Part of the licensing pays close attention to the consumers safety and security. This stretches to both (financial) data security and responsible play.

In order to find the ultimate casino experience, players will need to feel comfortable at a casino for a longer period of time which is why customer support is one of the most crucial factors. It is one of the ways to both gain and retain customers. Were glad to say that online casinos in Finland are like any other online operating business which are known to work very efficiently when it comes to customer satisfaction and providing immediate support. We make sure to test all of the customer support desks ourselves and share our experiences with our readers. Good support desks are professional, responsive, and customer friendly. Those that operate in Finland widely use the Finnish language as well.

There are very few industries that require its operators to have such a strong reputation as the online casino business as competition is fierce. As online casinos in Finland pop up like daisies it is crucial for any business to convince its visitors that it offers a platform that can be trusted and is considered stable. One of the ways to keep players on board is by having a strong brand reputation which is why we perform a vast background check on the company, looking into where it's registered and who runs it. Although a casino website might be brand new, the company behind it may be highly experienced, giving the user a lot more confidence. Part of enjoying a lot of experience is that casinos that have been around for a while are known to already have deals with major game providers. This means that players should be able to count on the best games and large game portfolios.

As most users sign up at a casino to play with real money, depositing money will need to be easy and trouble free as online gaming is considered an immediate need. Once you sign up at a casino you want to be able to immediately enjoy the fun which is why the banking process needs to be both efficient and fast. Luckily, this has turned out to be a lot easier in recent years as there are lots of e-wallets available that have speeded up online transactions. Finland also houses a lot of Pay N Play casinos which make it possible to pay and immediately play, not requiring players to create an account themselves.

Proper online casinos offer proper payouts, basically meaning that payouts should be as fast as the deposits. Most online casinos work with daily, weekly, and monthly payout limits and the main idea is that their limits should be fair to enjoy your wins as fast as possible. Do note that every casino needs to perform an identity check before letting a customer withdraw his or her money. This is imposed by the government and international Know your Customer (KYC) and Anti-money laundering (AML)-standards, not by the casino. Other than that, withdrawals should be processed rapidly making it possible for players to enjoy their winnings within a short period of time after having requested the withdrawal.

Finlands gambing space was widely known to be relatively stable, but recent changes are expected to shake up the gambling industry in the country and time will need to tell whether this is for good or for bad. Finland has come to this point because the government wants to be able to stop offshore operators from targeting their nationals. The new law is expected to give local authorities even more control over its own players. As such, the government has decided to set up tighter measures to promote responsible gambling, centralising the offer, and simultaneously blocking offshore companies from marketing their products in Finland. What the government wants to continue to do is to stay in charge and show authority over the gaming space in its own territory. At the same time, many casinos from other countries remain open for Finnish players and continue to be highly interesting alternatives as most of them hold even stronger licences, bigger game assortments, and better bonuses than those that are brought to the market by state owned Veikkaus Oy. Our expectation? That the limited amount of legal options might just push them further away from Finnish casinos to the thousands of sites available offshore.

Disclaimer: Play responsibly. Players must be over 18. For help visit https://www.gamcare.org.uk/.

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The Finnish casino landscape in 2022 - Times of Malta