The Finnish government has announced that the opening of the country’s regulated gambling market will be delayed until 2027, due to a variety of factors including concerns over problem gambling and the impact on the state-owned gambling monopoly.
The decision comes after years of debate and lobbying from various stakeholders in the gambling industry, with some pushing for a faster liberalization of the market and others advocating for greater regulation to protect vulnerable players.
The state-owned gambling monopoly, Veikkaus, has been under increasing scrutiny in recent years for its failure to adequately address problem gambling and for its poor financial performance. The government has been under pressure to reform the gambling sector and to open up the market to more competition.
However, opposition parties and some members of the public have raised concerns about the potential social and economic consequences of liberalizing the gambling market too quickly. They argue that opening up the market could lead to an increase in problem gambling and social harm, particularly among vulnerable populations.
In response to these concerns, the government has decided to delay the opening of the market until 2027, in order to give more time for the necessary reforms and protections to be put in place. The delay will also allow for a more thorough review of the potential impacts of liberalization on both the gambling industry and society as a whole.
While some stakeholders in the gambling industry may be disappointed by the delay, others have welcomed the government’s cautious approach. They argue that it is important to strike the right balance between opening up the market to competition and protecting vulnerable players.
Overall, the decision to delay the opening of Finland’s regulated gambling market until 2027 reflects the government’s commitment to responsible gambling and to ensuring that any changes to the sector are made with careful consideration of the potential risks and benefits. It will be interesting to see how the market evolves in the coming years and how the government’s reforms will impact the industry and society as a whole.
