Finland’s gambling market is preparing for its biggest shake-up in decades, as the country moves from a state-run monopoly to a competitive licensing model from July 2027. 

On this episode of iGaming Daily, host Fernando Noodt is joined by Jonas Reuter, a member of the state operator’s executive management team, and chairman of Fennica Gaming, to discuss what the transition means for both businesses.

Reuter explained that Fennica was formed four years ago as the international B2B arm of the newly merged state operator, itself the product of a 2019 merger between three separate entities covering sports betting and lotto, land-based and online casino, and horse racing. 

Since launch, Fennica has expanded its instant games business into around 20 jurisdictions, while its iCasino portfolio, built from the same in-house studio, is now live in 10 markets, including partnerships with Flutter and an upcoming entry into Canada.

On the market opening itself, Reuter was upbeat rather than defensive. 

He likened the shift to driving on a motorway “where you can only go 80 kilometres per hour but you have other cars going 140,” arguing the new licensing regime would level speeds “so that everybody can drive 110 kilometers per hour” – a level he said the company welcomes.

Reuter framed Fennica’s regulated-only history as a genuine commercial asset rather than a constraint. “We use the word no bad debts in our DNA,” he said, positioning the company’s clean record and Nordic values of transparency and simplicity as difficult for less compliant rivals to replicate as global regulation tightens.

Looking ahead, Reuter pointed to the upcoming SBC Summit Lisbon as a chance for Fennica to meet prospective partners as it pushes further into international markets.

Watch the full episode here.