The Finnish Council of Regulatory Impact Analysis (FCRIA) has said it is “unclear” why the government is proposing a licensing model that will “likely increase the harm caused by gambling”, as it flagged three main shortcomings and areas to develop in the draft gambling law.
In a statement to the Ministry of Interior dated January 2, 2025, the FCRIA calls for the proposal to include details on the risks it poses to the objective of reducing harm, implementing and fulfilling the duty of care, and its compatibility with EU law.
The licensing model proposed by the government “is probably the best of all the alternatives presented in terms of achieving the objectives of the reform”, according to the FCRIA’s assessment.
“However, this alternative is not the basis for the reform, but the draft proposal proposes an entity that increases the harm caused by gambling,” the FCRIA said, adding that the proposal should have assessed alternatives in more detail in terms of reducing harm, taking into account measures such as different lottery tax rates, spending limits or different age limits.
The draft law also should “describe more clearly whether the proposal improves or weakens equality and gender equality”.
Additionally, there is a need for an assessment of the draft law's effect on social and health care services and welfare, as well as treatment and support services.
These concerns are in part caused by the draft law openly highlighting its potentially harmful effects and risks, which it is praised for in the assessment.
The FCRIA concluded the draft proposal “meets the requirements of the impact assessment guidelines for legislative drafting well” and “should be supplemented with its recommendations”.
Antti Koivula, a legal advisor with law firm Legal Gaming, said the FCRIA’s statement is “generally positive” and does not anticipate it will cause delays or significant changes to the draft legislation.
“However, it is likely that the impact assessment related to the proposal will be supplemented in response to the Council's observations,” Koivula said.
Under Finland's planned new gambling model, Veikkaus will lose most of its exclusive gambling licences, including for online betting and casino.
Additionally, a host of other major changes will be introduced affecting tax, marketing, affiliates, tools to tackle the black market, as well as operator and supplier licensing and supervision fees.
Finland’s government has set the target of opening its licensed gambling market in July 2026.
However, some expect a delay of at least a few months, predicting that the deadline will slip back to the originally planned date of January 1, 2027.