Veikkaus, Finland’s state-owned gaming operator, has begun an investigation into suspicious betting activities within two top-tier floorball matches.
Insider information regarding team line-ups during a Men’s World Cup game and an F-League playoff was allegedly leaked and used for “unusually large bets”, even against the bettors’ own teams.
Several league players and officials seem to have placed these prohibited bets, contravening contractual agreements and ethical guidelines that ban such activities.
Mikko Lahti, Director of Security and Risk Management at Veikkaus, commented: “Based on our research, it seems quite obvious that secret lineup information has been passed on and leaked from within the teams before it has become public.
“Based on this, people with close connections to the insider have even placed completely exceptional bets for themselves before the lineup information was made public – even against the team to which the bettor has a connection.”
Amongst the suspicious bettors are people whose gaming accounts had been very inactive before the games in question or have previously played games in Veikkaus’ game groups other than betting.
The investigation has identified several league players and officials as having placed these prohibited bets – contravening contractual agreements that ban such activities and the use of confidential information.
“However, we are not aware that those who played in the matches in question or acted as officials listed in the minutes would have placed bets on the matches in question,” Lahti explained.
Floorball is a fast-paced indoor sport which combines hockey with other stick-and-ball games, but with less physical contact. Illegal activity of this kind could be heavily detrimental to other players of the sport, fans, bettors as well as its overall reputation.
One man who played in the F-League last season has been brought to attention in particular, and Veikkaus has analysed that there are “exceptional” and “clearly illegal” patterns in his betting – which the operator has also informed the Finnish Centre for Integrity in Sports (SUEK).
The Finnish Floorball Federation (SSBL) and F-Liiga will also begin their own investigations into the matter.
“When we heard about the matter, we were naturally disappointed and the action is completely condemnable. We are truly sorry. This is against morality, ethics, rules and agreements,” noted Riku Tapio, Executive Director of the Finnish Floorball Association.
Pressure on Veikkaus to continue on the lookout for activity of this kind is only increasing as Finland’s gambling market forecast is expected to reach around €2.4bn by the end of 2025, with the online segment being the main engine of growth.
This part of the gambling landscape keeps expanding steadily while land-based revenues shrink or stagnate. In fact, it’s expected to surge to about 65% of total GGR (€1.56bn), and this growth will likely surge in the aftermath of a widely anticipated gambling opening up of the market in 2026 or 2027.
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