Finland: Maltese licence is no longer sufficient

Finland: Maltese licence is no longer sufficient

In February 2026, the Finnish parliament approved a new gambling law. The country is transitioning from Veikkaus' monopoly to a licensed market — online casinos and fixed sports betting are opening up to competition. For operators working under a Maltese license and already targeting the Finnish audience, this changes the rules of the game.

Parameters of the new market

• License applications accepted — from March 2026
• Licensed operators start operating — July 1, 2027
• Regulator — new supervisory body Finnish Supervisory Authority
• Tax on GGR — 22%
• Application fee — €29,000
• Annual supervisory fee — from €4,000 to €434,000 depending on GGR
• Licenses available to operators both from the EEA and beyond — with a representative in the region

What will change for MGA operators

• A Maltese license does not automatically grant the right to operate in Finland
• Targeting Finnish players without a local license after the market launch — violation
• Sanctions include a marketing ban, additional regulatory restrictions, and reputational consequences for future Finnish license applications
• Player winnings on unlicensed platforms are subject to income tax

How operators adapt

• Recognition Notice — an MGA tool that allows obtaining local authorization without losing the Maltese base
• In the last reporting year, the MGA issued 62 such certificates — a sharp increase compared to the previous period

Pan-European context

• Finland continues the trend: Europe and Scandinavia are moving towards local licenses and territorial regulation
• The geography of the MGA B2C license is gradually narrowing
• Similar processes are occurring outside of Europe: Chile is developing its first online licensing system with a launch in 2027

Conclusion

The era of the universal Maltese license is ending: more jurisdictions require local authorization, and the map of available markets for MGA B2C operators continues to shrink. Finland is another point on this map.