Finland's New Gambling Watchdog Handed Sweeping Powers to Revoke Licenses and Block Illegal Casino Sites

HELSINKI - Jan. 20, 2026 - PRLog -- As Finland prepares to launch its regulated gambling market on July 1, 2027, the focus has shifted from what the rules are to who will enforce them. This responsibility will fall on the new supervisory authority that will replace the National Police Board (Poliisihallitus) as the industry's regulator.

The new body, operating under the Lupa- ja valvontavirasto (Permit and Supervision Agency), will possess far broader powers than its predecessor. The agency is tasked with a clear mandate: to ensure the licensed market is safe and to ruthlessly eliminate the grey market.

Unlike the current system, which relies heavily on criminal law, the new authority will wield administrative power to act quickly.

• Penalty Fees (Seuraamusmaksu): The authority can issue significant administrative fines to operators who violate license conditions, marketing rules, or safety protocols.
• License Revocation: The ultimate sanction is the power to revoke a license (toimiluvan peruuttaminen). This can be triggered by repeated offenses, failure to pay supervision fees, or serious breaches of player safety rules.

The Compliance Standard: Why "Instant Play" Technology Wins
A primary focus of the new "Enforcer" will be the strict verification of player identity (Section 28). The law mandates that every login and transaction must be strongly authenticated to prevent money laundering and underage gambling.

• The Technology Shift: Bonusetu notes that this strict enforcement will likely consolidate the market around Bank-ID authentication technologies.
• Market Impact: This protocol is already the operational backbone of 'instant casinos' or pikakasinot in Finnish - see https://bonusetu.com/pikakasinot/. This model uses banking credentials for instant KYC (Know Your Customer) checks. Because this specific technology satisfies the regulator's strict identification requirements by default, it is expected to become the primary compliance standard for operators entering the Finnish system.

Scrubbing the Web: Removal of Illegal Content
For the first time, the regulator will have the direct power to order the removal of illegal online content.

• Content Takedowns: The authority can order service providers to remove unlicensed gambling content or marketing material.
• Domain Blocking: In severe cases, the regulator can order the removal of a domain name from the .fi register, effectively wiping non-compliant sites off the Finnish internet map.

"The new agency isn't just an administrator; it is a policeman with the power to fine, block, and shut down. For operators, this means that compliance technology - specifically regarding player ID and money laundering - is no longer just an operational detail, but a license-critical necessity." - Tommi Korhonen, CEO of Bonusetu.

To ensure the regulator has the resources to police a global industry, the new authority will be funded directly by the sector. Licensed operators will pay an annual Supervision Fee (valvontamaksu), tiered based on their Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR), ensuring that the largest operators contribute the most to market integrity.

About Bonusetu.com Established in 2016, Bonusetu.com is a leading market intelligence platform for the Nordic iGaming sector. We specialize in analyzing regulatory frameworks, software integrity, and payment technologies to provide Finnish consumers and stakeholders with transparent, actionable data.

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