Wildz Group confirms it has secured Finnish licence
Online casino operator Wildz Group has become the first gambling company to publicly confirm receiving a licence to operate in Finland’s new regulated online gambling market, which is scheduled to open on July 1, 2027.
The Malta-based gambling operator announced on Thursday that Finland’s National Police Board had approved its application, granting it a five-year licence that will take effect when the country’s existing gambling monopoly ends.
The announcement represents an important milestone in Finland’s transition towards a competitive online gambling market.
Under the new system, private operators will be permitted to offer online casino games, slots, sports betting and online bingo, subject to obtaining the appropriate Finnish authorisation.
Wildz Group CEO Sam Brown welcomed the decision, describing it as a reward for the work involved in preparing the company’s application.
“Receiving the amazing news of being the first operator to receive a licence in Finland is a welcome reward,” Brown said.
The company has indicated that preparations are continuing ahead of the market’s opening on July 1, 2027.
Finland prepares to end gambling monopoly
Finland currently operates a gambling monopoly under state-owned Veikkaus, which retains exclusive rights to offer and advertise most gambling products in mainland Finland until the end of June 2027.
The country’s new Gambling Act will introduce competition in online casino gaming and sports betting while maintaining Veikkaus’s monopoly over certain products, including lotteries, scratchcards and land-based slot machines.
The Finnish government has said the reforms are intended to bring more gambling activity under domestic regulatory supervision.
International gambling websites have long attracted Finnish customers despite the country’s restrictive regulatory framework.
The new licensing system is designed to encourage those customers to use locally authorised platforms subject to Finnish consumer protection requirements.
Applications opened in March 2026, with the National Police Board responsible for processing submissions during the transition.
By late September, approximately 75 licence applications had reportedly been submitted.
The application fee is €29,000, and successful applicants will receive licences valid for five years.
Wildz’s announcement is significant because it provides the first public confirmation that an operator has successfully completed the process.
However, the National Police Board has not yet published a comprehensive list of successful applicants or independently confirmed that Wildz was the first company granted approval.
Importantly, Wildz’s new licence does not permit it to begin offering or advertising gambling services in Finland immediately, with the authorisation to take effect on July 1, 2027, when the competitive market is scheduled to open.
Until then, Finland’s existing restrictions remain in force.
Leo Vegas, Unibet confirmed to have applied
By September 22, 2026, Finnish authorities had received 75 gambling licence applications, although no licences had been granted.
Among the confirmed applicants are LeoVegas (Leo Vegas review), which has applied for two licences, and Unibet, owned by FDJ United, which submitted its application in May. Finland’s state-owned operator, Veikkaus, has also applied to participate in the competitive market.
Other prospective entrants include ComeOn Group, which has appointed a general manager for Finland, although it has not publicly confirmed submitting an application. Finnish horse racing venture Hippos ATG has also reportedly applied for a licence.
The new licensing system will end Veikkaus’s monopoly over online casino games and sports betting, while the state-owned company will retain exclusive rights over lotteries, scratch cards and certain land-based gambling products.
