Wildz Group says it is first to secure Finnish online licence

Wildz Group, a Maltese operator, announced that it is the first online gambling company to obtain a licence in Finland's liberalised online market, which is due to launch on 1 July 2027. The announcement was made by Lasse Rantala, a member of Wildz Group's board of directors. The licence has not been confirmed by a regulator in the source, and the company's claim is attributed to the company.

Finland's National Police Board announced 75 licence applications in late September, a result above the government's expectations, according to the report. State company Veikkaus is among the applicants. Companies were required to pay a €29,000 fee for each licence application, and there is no limit on the number of licences available. It is not yet clear whether the regulator will publish an official list of the operators that obtain a licence.

The move to a liberalised online gambling market has led the National Police Board to increase enforcement in the sector, the report said. In recent months the board issued six fines ranging from €20,000 to €1.2m, along with four prohibition orders concerning unauthorised advertising on websites, social media and streaming platforms. The source gives no further statement from Wildz Group, Veikkaus or the National Police Board, and no appeal status.