Finland: An MGA License Is No Longer Enough

In February 2026, the Finnish Parliament approved a new Gambling Act. The country is moving from the Veikkaus monopoly to a licensed market — online casinos and fixed-odds sports betting will open to competition. For operators currently working under a Maltese license and already targeting Finnish audiences, this significantly changes the rules of the game.

Key Parameters of the New Market

🔵 License application process — starting March 2026

🔵 Launch of licensed operators — July 1, 2027

🔵 Regulator — the new supervisory body, the Finnish Supervisory Authority

🔵 GGR tax — 22%

🔵 Application fee — € 29,000

🔵 Annual supervisory fee — from € 4,000 to € 434,000 depending on GGR

🔵 Licenses available to operators both inside and outside the EEA — provided they have a local representative

What Changes for MGA Operators

🔴 A Maltese license does not automatically grant the right to operate in Finland

🔴 Targeting Finnish players without a local license after market launch will be considered a violation

🔴 Sanctions may include marketing bans, additional regulatory restrictions, and reputational consequences for future Finnish license applications

🔴 Player winnings from unlicensed platforms will be subject to income tax

How Operators Are Adapting

🔵 Recognition Notice — an MGA tool that allows operators to obtain local authorization while maintaining their Maltese base

🔵 In the last reporting year, the MGA issued 62 such certificates — a sharp increase compared to the previous period

Broader European Context

🔴 Finland continues the broader trend: Europe and Scandinavia are moving toward local licensing and territorial regulation

🔴 The geographical scope of the MGA B2C license is gradually narrowing

🔴 Similar processes are occurring beyond Europe: Chile is developing its first online licensing system, expected to launch in 2027

Conclusion

The era of the universal Maltese license is coming to an end: more jurisdictions are requiring local authorization, and the map of accessible markets for MGA B2C operators continues to shrink. Finland is another point on that map.