In Finland, the gambling market transformation faces significant controversy just weeks after the President of the Republic signed the new Gambling Act in January 2026. Several international operators have expressed serious reservations about the player protection measures proposed by the government’s Gambling Risk and Harm Assessment Group, arguing that overly restrictive regulations could sabotage the reform’s central goal: channeling players towards the regulated system.
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Government Consultation Generates Immediate Opposition in Finland
The new Gambling Risk and Harm Assessment Group, known by its English acronym GRHAG, operating under the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, launched a public consultation on January 30, 2026, regarding additional player protection proposals. Stakeholders had until February 24 to submit their opinions on the potential measures, which would be integrated into the general gambling legislation approved in December 2025.
Among GRHAG’s most controversial proposals is a single loss limit register for all licensed operators. This system would mean players could only lose a certain amount across all licensees combined, rather than setting individual limits with each operator separately.
Other proposed requirements include the obligation to provide player control tools, such as limits on deposits, losses, and playing time. Operator-imposed tools would also cover mandatory cool-off periods and gaming restrictions, as well as blocking certain measures in specific cases.
SkillOnNet Warns of Negative Customer Experiences
In its formal response, SkillOnNet, which counts PlayOJO among its flagship brands, argued that a low cross-operator limit could directly push players towards illegal websites operating outside Finnish jurisdiction.
“A forcibly closed gaming account is always a negative customer experience,” SkillOnNet stated in its official submission. “Every time a customer is directed to seek a new gaming location, the risk of encountering a site operating outside the regulated system increases.”
The operator pointed out that deposit and gaming limits cannot be separated from the overall context of the reform and that they had been drastically tightened when the Gambling Act was already complete in other aspects. This criticism points to what SkillOnNet considers over-regulation that comes too late in the legislative process.
The Proposal to Change the Regulatory Focus
SkillOnNet argued that betting on a licensed gambling site should be more attractive, sensible, and straightforward for Finnish consumers than betting on an unlicensed site. This statement reflects a fundamentally different regulatory philosophy: making the legal market more competitive rather than making the illegal market less accessible.
The operator continued to say that the regulatory focus should shift from limiting licensed operators to focusing on those outside the system and directly addressing illegal activity through law enforcement and technical blocking.
“In licensed gambling, resources should be directed towards ensuring licensees comply with their own duty of care and actively report on it, that player-set restrictions are respected, and that the national gambling ban register functions smoothly,” SkillOnNet stated.
The operator added crucial historical context: the decision to open the market was partly due to the fact that Veikkaus’s current monopoly holds only a 50% market share in Finland, while all other activities are conducted on unregulated offshore sites. This data underscores the failure of the monopoly system to effectively channel gambling towards supervised operators.
Implementation Challenges Ahead
The Finnish government faces a tight timeline to finalize the remaining regulatory details before the July 2027 launch. The new Finnish Supervisory Authority will assume licensing and supervision duties under the Gambling Act starting July 1, 2027, replacing the National Police Board in that role.
This new regulatory agency will have the power to issue significant fines for non-compliance, revoke licenses for serious violations, and order the removal of illegal gambling content from the internet. Operators who fail to comply with license conditions, marketing rules, or meet player safety standards could face severe penalties, including license revocation.
The legislative project’s term has been extended until February 28, 2027, during which government decrees and Ministry of the Interior decrees concerning gambling operations will be prepared. Based on the evaluation carried out in the project, these decrees should be issued as part of the new legislation on the gambling system.
The resolution of GRHAG’s proposals will be one of the critical elements determining whether Finland achieves its dual objective of increasing channeling to the regulated market while simultaneously strengthening player protection. The outcome of this consultation could set a significant precedent for other European markets contemplating similar reforms.
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