Finland Opens its Doors A New Era of Competition Begins


Finland’s move to a licensing regime opens one of Europe’s final monopoly markets. Bjørnar Heggernes, Chief Commercial Officer at The Mill Adventure, believes Finland can build a thriving market by empowering players and operators equally - not repeating mistakes seen in rigid jurisdictions like Germany.


What do you see as the biggest opportunities about Finland’s transition from a monopoly to a licensing regime?


Finland has a huge, established demand for online gambling. Statistics from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) show that over the course of a year, 70 per cent of the adult population engages with gambling under the current monopoly system.


At the moment, Veikkaus has a huge advantage and dominates in the market, thanks to the lack of possibilities to compete fairly. When new challengers present themselves under a new licensing system, they have a chance to bring fresh ideas, innovations and a more engaging offering. Tis is where we can help partners in terms of quality in their products, services and platform capabilities.


Crucially, we can leverage our technical compliance expertise and flexible technology to be market-ready quickly. As seen in other newly regulated markets, first-mover advantage can be sustained over the long term, so we expect that the combination of our technology and local expertise will allow our partners to maximise the opportunity.


By committing early in Finland and establishing strong partnerships, we aim to be a top-of-mind partner, driving quality and innovation from day one in one of the last major markets in Europe currently running a monopoly model.


Looking at lessons taken from other jurisdictions, which regulatory 104


missteps do you believe Finland must avoid for the market to launch smoothly?


For a smooth market launch, Finland must introduce the sort of balanced regulations that have helped create thriving markets elsewhere. Te primary misstep to avoid is creating an overly rigid, hostile environment that focuses solely on dictating controls rather than empowering players.


As demonstrated in Germany, such approaches inevitably lead to substantial black-market growth and poor channelisation rates. Instead, regulation should prioritise player education and responsible gaming tools, allowing operators to compete effectively while ensuring the highest levels of player protection.


By adopting a model that benefits all stakeholders, Finland can provide a high-value regulated sector that works for everyone, as proven by tax and health reports from other successful jurisdictions.


How early is “early” for operators when preparing for a newly liberalised market?


Early preparation is absolutely critical. Before the final act or regulations are even concluded, prospective market entrants should ensure that every avenue is explored so that when it does come to launch time, everything proceeds smoothly. We saw in Germany that many operators were non-compliant from the start due to limitations in legacy platforms.


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