Malta-based Wildz Group has announced that it has cleared the licensing process in Finland. According to the operator, the approval came before Finland\u2019s National Police Board published an official list of operators authorised to enter the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finland is preparing to end the European Union\u2019s last major online gambling monopoly. Following the adoption of the new Gambling Act in January 2026, the country\u2019s licensed market is scheduled to open to private operators on 1 July 2027. On 15 October 2026, Wildz Group announced that it had received an official letter from Finland\u2019s National Police Board. According to the company, the document grants it permission to offer gambling services to Finnish players for five years from the market\u2019s launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wildz Group Announces Five-Year Approval<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Wildz Group <\/strong>said it received an official authorisation letter from Finland\u2019s National Police Board<\/strong> on 15 October 2026, allowing it to provide gambling services to Finnish players for five years starting on 1 July 2027. The date marks the planned opening of the country\u2019s licensed market to private operators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The company claims to be the first iGaming operator to receive such approval. The announcement could mark an early milestone in the licensing process, although the regulator has yet to independently confirm the information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finland\u2019s National Police Board has not yet published decisions on individual operator applications. Therefore, the information about Wildz Group\u2019s approval is currently based solely on the company\u2019s own announcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finland Opens Its Gambling Market: Background and Competition<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Finland\u2019s transition to a licensing system for online gambling will mark the final stage in the dismantling of state gambling monopolies across the European Union. Denmark introduced similar changes in 2012, followed by Sweden in 2019. Finland is now preparing to become the last EU member state to end its online gambling monopoly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On 16 December 2025, the Finnish Parliament passed the new Gambling Act<\/strong>, with 158 votes in favour and nine against. The president signed the legislation on 16 January 2026. Applications for licences opened on 1 March 2026. The National Police Board will oversee licensing until the end of June 2027, when responsibility will transfer to the Finnish Supervisory Agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interest in entering the Finnish market has exceeded initial expectations. By September 2026, the National Police Board had received 75 licence applications, up from 50 in June. Industry observers had initially forecast between 40 and 60 applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n