For a country with only 5.5 million inhabitants, the gambling industry in Finland is massive. In this guide, we’ll cover all you need to know about the best betting sites in Finland, the country's gambling laws, payment methods, and tips to help you on your way.
- Best Sites We Recommend for Betting in Finland
- Our Top 3 Recommendations Reviewed
- Online Betting in Finland Explained
- Is Online Betting Legal in Finland?
- Choosing a Good Finnish Betting Site
- Popular Payment Methods for Finnish Customers
- Live Betting in Finland
- How To Bet Online in Finland
- Other Country Betting Guides – Click Each Flag To Learn More
- ThePuntersPage Final Say
- FAQs
Best Sites We Recommend for Betting in Finland
Acca Insurance up to 60€ 18+ Join today. 5 minimum selections on any sport. Total odds of the accumulator must be at least 5.00. Max three refunds per day up to €60 (up to €20 per accumulator bet). Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad
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100% up to €100 Welcome Bonus 18+ This offer is only available to new players who made their first deposit and selected this offer as a welcome bonus. The qualifying deposit must be made as a single transaction. All players must be 18+ years old and of legal age to gamble. Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad
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100% up to €100 Welcome Bonus 18+ A welcome bonus of a 100% increase of up to €100 to every new user who opens an account and makes their first deposit. Register at Sportaza. The minimum deposit for taking the bonus is €20. Play the deposit amount once with odds of 1.50 or higher. Once you get your bonus, you need to roll it over five times (5x). The odds should be 2.00 or higher if you play a single selection. If you play combined tickets, the odds should be 1.50 or higher. Ultimately, you have 30 days to fulfill these terms of use. In case you do not complete the wagering requirements, the bonus money will be removed from your account. Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad
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100% up to €100 18+ Create your own account. Deposit €10 or more. Claim a 100% betting bonus. Select the bonus in the deposit menu immediately after you have made your first deposit. The minimum deposit to redeem the offer is €10. The maximum bonus is €100. The deposit and bonus must be rolled over five (5) times, min. with a coefficient of 1.9 before winnings can be withdrawn. Deposit bonuses in this offer must be redeemed within 60 days of bonus activation before withdrawal can be processed. Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad
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100% up to €100 18+ Register an account with TonyBet. Choose this bonus and deposit at least €10. You get a bonus for sports betting! Place one or more bets at least five (5) times the amount of the initial deposit for sports betting with a minimum coefficient of 1.5 for single events, or for combined events with a minimum coefficient of 1.7. You get a 100% free bet on your first deposit, which is credited to your account when the wagering requirements are met. The maximum redeemable free bet in this campaign is €100. Redemption requirements for this promotion must be met within 14 days of an approved deposit. If the wagering requirements have not been met during the time period, the campaign will not be accepted and the free bet will not be awarded. Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad
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100% up to €200 18+ Register today and take advantage of our 100% first deposit bonus up to €200. So we double your deposit and you get to bet on more than 50,000 items every month! This offer is available to new customers who have registered and made their first real money deposit. The minimum deposit amount is EUR 20. The player must wager the full amount of the first deposit at least once with a multiplier of at least 1.50. All bets must be settled. Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad
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Our Top 3 Recommendations Reviewed
Despite some fierce competition, we have managed to whittle things down to our top three betting sites in Finland. But why did we pick these particular bookies? Find out in the following mini reviews.
ibet – Brilliant New Sportsbook & Casino
Finnish punters can expect to earn plenty of accumulator boosts, daily enhanced odds, and free bets via a free bet club. Sadly, however, ibet doesn’t offer a welcome bonus at the time of writing.
While livestreaming is available, the options are limited, but this operator does have an excellent live betting section. Since there is no native app, these perks will be available via browser on your preferred mobile device.
- More than 4,000 games
- High withdrawal limits
- Customer support available 24/7
- Great selection of payment methods
- No native app
- Customer support via phone not an option
20Bet – Loyalty Club Specialists
This is one of the best sports betting sites in Finland, boasting a huge range of markets and an excellent live betting section. All of this can be accessed either through your desktop browser or the brilliantly designed 20Bet mobile app.
One of 20Bet’s best features is its wide range of banking options. While the site aims to process withdrawals between 12-24 hours for some methods, most of the time this should take less than an hour. Finally, there are plenty of bonuses to enjoy, plus a loyalty scheme that delivers additional perks.
- High withdrawal limits
- Live dealer games on offer
- Generous welcome bonus
- 24/7 customer support
- Players from Finland aren't eligible for any deposit-based bonuses
- Some payment methods are not available in all countries
Sportaza – Safe & Reliable Betting Site
Sportaza features over 35 sports, ranging from football and basketball to hockey and even ski jumping, plus around 8,000+ live betting events a month. New customers are welcomed with a 100% matched bonus up to €500.
Additionally, the bookie offers a ton of ways to deposit and make withdrawals, and customer support can be contacted any time of the day in case any issues arise. When it comes to safety, Sportaza employs the secure TLS 1.2 online protocol for all data and money transfers, including personal data protection, making it an extremely reliable site to bet with.
- Accepts crypto deposits
- 24/7 customer service
- Massive choice of game providers
- Few restricted nations
- No livestreaming
- Lack of mobile app
Online Betting in Finland Explained
Online sports betting is very popular in the country, experiencing growth every year. Gambling regulations restrict local punters to betting with the state-owned Veikkaus, which holds a monopoly over all bookmakers and casinos.
Nowadays, nothing prevents you from betting with a reputable international betting site, but this wasn’t always the case, as in 1933 the Finnish government put an end to gambling in the nation. For a few years, only charities could obtain licences to operate slot machines. With an unhappy public, RAY — Finland’s first gambling authority — was introduced in 1938.
In 2017, RAY, Fintoto, and Veikkaus came together to create Veikkaus Oy, the only Finnish gambling operator existing today.
Sports in Finland
Finland's profound love for sports is exemplified by their knack of producing some legendary Formula 1 drivers and ice hockey players. The national sport is Pesäpallo — a fast-moving-bat-and-ball sport that is commonly referred to as Finnish baseball.
The Finnish are also well known for creating some odd sports, such as Wife Carrying, Reindeer Racing, Cell Phone Throwing, and Hobby Horsing! Bookies have even been known to offer markets on some of these events in the past.
When it comes to TV coverage, however, there is only one winner and that is ice hockey. Given where Finland sits on the map, winter sports have always been the most popular in the country.
Is Online Betting Legal in Finland?
Yes, betting is completely legal here. The gambling industry has been heavily regulated since the end of World War II, with government-controlled betting agency, Veikkaus, currently holding a monopoly over all forms of gambling within its borders.
This company generates over one billion Euros every year, and the revenue is used to benefit Finnish society and distributed to the fields of science, youth work, social welfare, health, sports, and culture.
However, the EU views this monopoly as too restrictive on foreign online bookmakers and have repeatedly pressured Finland to discard it — so far, unsuccessfully. Finnish authorities argue that doing so would have a negative impact on several organisations that depend on the funds they receive through Veikkaus.
The good news is that players are not prohibited from using international bookmakers as an alternative. The country has not adopted a gambling licence system, and therefore does not issue licences to private operators. What this means is that many international betting sites are free to accept Finnish players and cannot be blocked by Finnish authorities. Nonetheless, they cannot advertise in the country.
Laws for Online Betting in Finland
In Finland, there are gambling restrictions in place that limit players to gambling with a state-owned company called Veikkaus. This is set to change soon, as the current government has announced that it is committed to ending the monopoly system and installing a licensing model by 2026 at the very latest.
Overall, while the regulation may limit certain aspects of the sports betting market in Finland, gambling is still entirely legal and there are always opportunities to bet with foreign sports betting sites. Furthermore, all winnings are tax free, which helps to create a vibrant betting scene.
Choosing a Good Finnish Betting Site
Since foreign operators aren’t banned from offering their services, Finnish players have a vast pool of top bookies to choose from. So what factors should you consider while betting from abroad in Finland?
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Security: Always ensure a bookmaker is licensed by a reputable organisation such as the UK Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, or best of all, both.
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Welcome Bonus: These are a great way to boost your bankroll and should play a key role in your decision to sign up with a bookmaker.
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Promotions: Several bookies will offer consistent promotions for players to take advantage of, such as bet boosts, weekly cash back and free bets, which can substantially enrich your gambling experience.
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Odds: The difference between a site with great odds and one with poor odds will significantly impact the money you make.
Popular Payment Methods for Finnish Customers
There are plenty of ways to top up your account or withdraw your winnings, including the usual options such as Visa and Mastercard. Alternatively, you can make use of Trustly or e-wallets like PayPal, Skrill, and NETELLER.
These alternative methods will allow you to make transactions without obtaining a physical card. They are favoured by many punters because of the security they provide, since players are saved from having to share any of their credit/debit card details with bookies.
Live Betting in Finland
In-play betting, also known as live betting, simply means betting on an event while it is ongoing. For the most part, bettors in Finland are able to bet on sports in real time. Using ice hockey (which is a popular sport for live betting in Finland) as an example, this would mean placing a bet on the next team to score.
Livestreaming
Many bookmakers have enhanced their player experience by offering some top-quality livestreaming services, so their users are able to bet while watching the sport. Most betting sites will have the right to broadcast events, including horse racing and football and tennis matches.
Some of these football betting sites in Finland offer livestreams for free, others will unlock the service if you have a positive account balance, whereas some require you to have placed a bet within the last 24 hours.
How To Bet Online in Finland
Follow our step-by-step guide below to join in and place bets online in Finland.
Choose from our list of best Finland gambling sites, as these are guaranteed to be safe and licensed.
The next step is to create an account. To do so, you need to register and enter all the information requested.
From here, you need to make an initial deposit, which should unlock the welcome bonus. Most international betting sites will list all their available payment methods, but remember that some of these are not eligible for the welcome offer. Select your method and hit deposit.
As soon as you have your first deposit, you can start placing bets.
Other Country Betting Guides – Click Each Flag To Learn More
ThePuntersPage Final Say
Finland doesn’t restrict players from signing up with international betting sites, so it’s likely you can just use the same betting accounts you use back in the UK. If you’re a globetrotter with other destinations lined up, be sure to check out our country betting guides to keep yourself informed!
FAQs
There are lots of great options, but we believe that the best sports gambling sites in Finland are 20Bet, ibet, and Sportaza.
Yes, it is. State-run Veikkaus has a monopoly on the industry and is the only operator able to directly offer games to locals. However, there is nothing in place to stop Finnish bettors from accessing international sites.
No, in Finland all winnings from Veikkaus are tax free, as are gambling winnings generated inside EEA.
As is the case with most countries, Visa and mastercard are hugely popular, but Finnish punters also use Trustly, NETELLER, Skrill, and PayPal.
Betting online in Finland is no different to how it works in most European countries. True, people are supposed to stick to playing at the nationalised Veikkaus, but there are no laws in place that prevent Finnish bettors from playing with international bookies on desktop and mobile devices.