Finland's police board confirms 12 online gambling licences granted, none refused yet
Finland's National Police Board has confirmed to iGaming Business that 12 licences are granted and none refused, from 79 applications received by 26 October 2026. The private online market opens on 1 July 2027.
Finland is far from South Africa, but its licensing process shows what a working regulated online casino market looks like: a named regulator, a published application route and a licence that players can check. South Africa has no licensed online casino sector, so South African players mostly use offshore sites. Seeing how other countries confirm licences officially is a useful reminder to ask who licenses a site and where, rather than trusting a badge in the footer.
What happened
Finland is ending its state monopoly on online gambling and will let private operators in from 1 July 2027. Until now, several companies had announced their own licences. On 26 October 2026, iGaming Business reported that the National Police Board, which runs the application process, had for the first time confirmed the position itself after an information request.
As of 26 October, the board said, 79 applications had been submitted. Twelve had been granted and none had been rejected.
Who holds a licence so far
The board's list names Hippos ATG Oy, Sunflower Gaming Limited, Granturo Finland Ltd (the Wildz Group entity), Skill On Net Ltd, SuomiVeto Oy, Cloudberry Ent Limited, SixthSpin Limited, KuuFlip Limited, RocketLily Ent Limited, Nivei Ursi Limited, YTBlue Limited and Buccone Trading Limited.
The current monopoly holder, Veikkaus, had also applied but was not on the list at the time of reporting. It keeps its monopoly over lotteries, scratchcards and land-based gaming machines once the market opens.
What it means for South African players
Nothing changes for you directly, because these licences only cover Finland. The takeaway is the process. A licence in a regulated market can be confirmed with the regulator, and the regulator has a public job to do. That is different from an offshore operator that simply says it is licensed somewhere. Our casino reviews separate "accepts South African players" from "licensed in South Africa" for exactly this reason.
What to watch next
Watch whether Veikkaus is approved, how many of the 79 applicants clear review before July 2027, and whether Finland's stable approach is copied by other markets that are currently raising taxes and tightening rules.