Best Online Casinos in Finland 2024

The founders of the company included such organizations as the Mannerheim Children’s Protection Society, the Red Cross of Finland, the Sea Rescue Society and other similar organizations. The profits from gambling-driven entertainment began to flow to the goals of supporting health care and social assistance to those in need. About 1600 people currently work in RAY in Finland.

The company’s gaming machines are located in approximately 9000 halls in hotels, shops, cafes and casinos, and the company’s turnover is almost 600 million euros, of which more than 400 million are spent on social programs in Finland.

Thus, three companies in Finland have the right to engage in gambling. These are RAY (Raha-automaattiyhdistys), VeikkausOy and FintotoOy.

VeikkausOy is a joint stock company, 100% of which shares belong to the state of Finland. The company was founded in 1940, being engaged in conducting various lotteries in Finland. Revenues from lotteries are distributed by parliament. Approximately 38% come annually to support art. 25% is spent on the development of sports in Finland. 17% and 9% respectively go to science and work with youth. The remaining funds are distributed each year in accordance with current needs in Finland.

And in 2017, the government of Finland united all these organizations under one VeikkausOy brand.

Now this company manages all online-casino institutions in Finland. There are 180 online-casino establishments in the country, which are overseen by the VeikkausOy association in Finland. The country`s online-casino institutions accept bets mainly in euros and US dollars. It is noteworthy that the profit from the gambling-driven Internet business goes not only to finance the companies themselves. Finland’s online casino pays hundreds of millions of euros to support social and health programs, culture and sports.

After the reforms that came into force in 2012, the Finnish authorities maintain their monopoly structure, based on the opinion that gambling-driven entertainment is abnormal activity.

In addition, the authorities are trying in every way to protect the rights of players: they impose restrictions on stakes, game time and age. All online casino customers must register with the special Population Information System – PIS, after providing information on the place of residence, entering the social security number and age.

Today, the main document regulating the gambling-driven entertainment market in Finland is the Lottery Act of 1966. According to it, all games in which you can get money, are considered as a lottery in Finland.

Types of Online Casino in Finland

A few words should be said about ordinary casinos in Finland. There are not many of them in the country. Casino Helsinki operates in the capital of Finland, where visitors can have fun on any of the 300 slot models or try their luck in 20 types of board games. In 2016, RAY opened two mini-casinos called “Feel Vegas”. One of them is located in Rovaniemi, and the second one can be visited in Espoo. A small gambling-driven entertainment house operates in the capital of Aland Islands – the town of Mariehamn, in the “Arkipelag Hotel & Casino” complex. At guests` disposal, there are several popular board and card games: blackjack, roulette, stud poker oasis and some others. By 2020, it is planned to complete the construction of a large casino in Tampere. As you can see, the choice of online-casino institutions in Finland and the range of games in them is much more diverse and large than in conventional gambling houses.

There is a stereotype about the inhabitants of the Scandinavian countries and adjacent to the Scandinavian peninsula of Finland as about restrained and cold people. However, this stereotype does not work at all when it comes to gambling. That is why online-casino institutions are very popular in the north of Europe. Finland is considered one of the European leaders in terms of the development of virtual gambling-driven business. According to statistics, five out of ten Finns once a week make bets at a casino. Internet establishments of Finland are in considerable demand not only among local players, but also among gamblers from around the world.

Online-casino institutions in Finland offer their customers a huge selection of games both of their own production and on software platforms of leading world manufacturers.

The random number generator used in the casino is certified by the independent international organization TST (Technical System Testing) in Finland. In order to play, a visitor of an Internet casino does not need to download special software – all games open directly on the site. Slots, card games (including video poker and blackjack), table games (roulette and others) are available to customers of online-casino institutions in Finland. Especially in Finland’s online-casino institutions there is a wide selection of slots. Periodically, virtual gambling-driven entertainment houses hold tournaments.

Also, residents of Finland are free to use live casino. Online casino is able to bring a lot of positive emotions and become a place where you can win many victories. But it cannot repeat the atmosphere of a real institution. And only a live casino can approach the ideal, offering visitors much more than a huge selection of slot models. Here, players are invited to feel the aura that surrounds the best places in the world, and touch the real game.

If you prefer to play on your smartphone, online casinos of Finland have high-quality mobile versions, adapted to run on compact gadgets. The graphics and sound of games in the mobile versions of the Internet casino are specially optimized for the phone and are of excellent quality.

Types of Casino Games for Gamblers of Finland

Among the licensed varieties of gambling-driven entertainment in Finland, you can find the following offerings:

• Gaming machines. Only in Grand Casino Helsinki there are more than 300 of them, besides there are still more than 7 thousand gambling-driven entertainment establishments all over the country;
• Board games – Blackjack, Oasis Poker, Red-Dog, Punto-Banco, American Roulette, etc. Particularly popular among players of Finland are Lightning Poker, Touch Bet Roulette and Derby Horse. In Grand Casino Helsinki there are more than 20 gambling-driven tables and a poker club, in addition, there are 200 more gambling-driven establishments offering board games in the country;
• Bingo;
• Lottery;
• Other bets.

Nevertheless, online games are gaining increasing popularity in the world today. Online gambling-driven entertainment has been legal in Finland since 1996, when the Finland Oy VeikkausOy National Lottery was licensed to provide its services on the Internet. Under current legislation, the online gambling-driven entertainment entertainment market is also monopolized by the state and is divided between three operators: Fintoto, VeikkausOy and RAY. Also, the Aland company PAF has a license to provide its services online.

No one except the listed operators has the right to work on the Finnish gambling-driven entertainment market. However, Finnish players without any problems use the sites of foreign casinos, whose interface is presented in Finnish and English. Rates on such sites are accepted in euros and US dollars. It should be borne in mind that in official Finnish casinos accept only the euro.

Among Finnish players, slot models from manufacturers such as NetEnt and Yggdrasil Gaming are in special demand. Also Finnish products of Play’N Go do not overlook. Here is a list of the most popular slots in the country:

• Mega Fortune from NetEnt;
• Hugo from Play’n GO;
• Legend of the White Snake Lady from Yggdrasil Gaming;
• Alchymedes from Yggdrasil Gaming;
• Book of Dead by Play’n GO.

Lotteries and card games are valued in Finland, especially blackjack. But still the leader in popularity is poker, including its video version.

Finland is famous for its software developers. Among these, it is worth noting the Finnplay company. This company is popular not only in Finland. It collaborates with many well-known casino operators around the world. Finnplay specializes in the development of gaming machines and solutions for the iGaming industry. The company also supports startups, replacing or improving outdated gambling-driven entertainment systems in large reputable companies.

Online Gambling Laws and Regulations in Finland

Finnish gambling-driven business is wholly owned by the state. The current legislation of Finland permits the organization and conduct of gambling-driven entertainment only to three monopolists: Fintoto, VeikkausOy and RAY. In Aland (an autonomous province in Finland), all gambling-driven entertainment activities are controlled by PAF.

According to Finnish law, gambling-driven entertainment is a form of a lottery in which players have the opportunity to get a real win. Lottery means any activity in which participants can win. At the same time, the prize payout is based on the odds, and the players are charged for participation.

The permitted gambling-driven games in Finland include:

• cash lotteries;
• bets;
• gaming machines;
• casino games;
• casino operations;
• betting on a tote;
• non-cash lotteries;
• bingo;
• non-cash prize machines.

A license is required to organize and conduct all types of gambling-driven entertainment, including online and mobile games. In addition, there is a ban on advertising and promotion of gambling, as well as on bets without a corresponding license.

All permitted types of gambling-driven entertainment in Finland are regulated by the Lottery Act (11/23/2001 / 1047). This law establishes provisions for conducting lotteries, supervising the process of conducting lotteries, providing lottery accounts, the purpose of using the profits from lotteries and controlling the use of revenue. The Lottery Law also regulates gambling-driven operations, manages non-cash lotteries, guessing games, bingo and maintains the availability of non-cash prize machines.

The gambling-driven entertainment industry is regulated by the Ministry of the Interior. Under current law, for persons under the age of 18, the entrance to the casino is prohibited.

In Finland, unlicensed marketing activities aimed at advertising gambling-driven entertainment establishments and the services they provide are prohibited. Lottery law covers lottery promotion and advertising. There are even criminal sanctions for violation of this clause in the legislation in Finland. Responsibility for monitoring advertisements is on the National Police Council.

The Gambling Administration department of the National Police Board oversees lottery and compiles statistics on lottery activities. This department is an independent supervisory authority in Finland. This body has the right to make opinions and recommendations on the launch and supervision of lotteries. And it can also prohibit the holding of lotteries or their sale and reinforce their bans with conditional fines.

The distribution of funds received from various operators is controlled by the relevant authority.

As for the Aland Islands, according to the Law on the Autonomy of the Aland Islands, the local parliament has the right to pass any laws on gambling. Provisions on gambling-driven entertainment in the Aland Islands are included in the Law “On the Aland Lotteries”. Only PAFs are allowed to gamble in the Aland Islands.

Best Deposit Methods for Gamblers of Finland

As for the replenishment of personal deposit and withdrawal of funds, this can be done at online-casino institutions in Finland through the electronic payment systems Skrill (formerly known as Moneybookers) and Neteller, using MasterCard and Visa bank cards or by bank transfer. As a rule, the minimum amount available to replenish the account in an online casino of Finland is 10 euros.

Skrill e-wallet is in many ways similar to PayPal, the most widely used e-payment system in the world, however, unlike PayPal, Skrill works absolutely legally with most countries of Eastern Europe. With Skrill, you can send funds from your credit card, deposit or withdraw them from your bank account.

Speaking of Neteller, it is worth noting that initially the payment system was used only in Canada and the USA. Later there appeared a branch in Europe. Its employees speak most European languages, help clients solve current problems with the operation of the electronic payment system. In fact, Neteller is an online bank that also serves as a cash courier. Here you can open an account in any of the many currencies, use the funds for an intended purpose. Replenish the account, transfer funds from it to other users of the system, withdraw money to a bank card.

Due to a number of advantages offered to customers, for a very long time Neteller occupied leading positions in withdrawing funds from poker rooms and online-casino institutions.

Fans of online poker games have long appreciated the benefits of Neteller. Only here there are minimum withdrawal rates, additional interest and commissions are not charged when transferring money between system accounts. The most famous poker rooms carry out withdrawals of funds to the electronic system account. Also, players of Finland have the opportunity to transfer money from one poker room to another without additional fees.

Every user in Finland can assess the advantages of the electronic payment system by depositing or withdrawing funds. To withdraw money to a bank card, you do not need to use the services of exchange offices. All operations are carried out within the system.

If problems and questions arise, they can be resolved with a competent operator through live chat or email. Answers to many frequently asked questions are posted in the FAQ section. To familiarize with the information, you can choose the most common European languages.

Accepted Currencies in Finland

During the formation of the financial system of Finland, several different currencies were used. Their choice was often determined by those who captured the territories of Finland and controlled them.

Thus, the Swedish riksdalers (it was they, and not the Swedish kronas, which were put into circulation only in 1873) were in use in Finland in the Middle Ages, when the country was part of Sweden. During the Russian-Swedish wars of the 18th century, the Swedish riksdalers and Russian rubles were in circulation on the territory of Finland at the same time. And after Finland joined Russia in 1809, Russian rubles became the main currency.

In 1860, the Finnish mark was introduced by the Emperor Alexander II as an independent currency of the Grand Duchy of Finland. The name of the new currency was invented by Elias Lennrot, the collector of Kalevala. Interestingly, the German mark appeared only 10 years after the introduction of the Finnish one.

In 1946, the design and currency protection system in Finland was changed, and in 1963 its denomination was carried out.

In 2002, a new currency, called the euro, was put into circulation in 12 European Union member countries. This European currency is intended for more than 320 million Europeans, and together with the territories of private circulation for 500 million people. The European Euro has the international designation EUR.

One euro is equivalent to 100 cents. In cash turnover, there are banknotes of 5 euro, 10 euro, 20 euro, 50 euro, 100 euro, 200 euro and 500 euro, as well as 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents. The European Euro is managed and administered by the European Central Bank, located in Frankfurt.

For almost all members of the European Union, the single currency of Europe has become the only monetary unit, in addition, the European euro is also used in a number of countries that are not members of the European Union, according to the current agreement with the European Central Bank. Of these, in the “first wave” was Finland.

As mentioned above, plastic cards of international payment systems are accepted for payment throughout Finland: Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club and American Express. Experts recommend mostly using MasterCard for online operations. Its base currency is euro. Thus, payment by card will help to avoid overpayment for conversion.

About the Future of Online Gambling in Finland

Gambling-driven entertainment in Finland is allowed, but it is under the complete control of the state. The authorized gambling regulatory authority in the country is the Ministry of the Interior. The entire gaming industry (both offline and online) is monopolized by the state and is divided between three firms: Fintoto, VeikkausOy and RAY (Raha-automaattiyhdistys).

A distinctive feature of gambling-driven entertainment in Finland is that all funds raised go exclusively to charity: help to the needy and seriously ill, charity events, etc. Part of the income goes to the development of sports, medicine and health care, as well as to support the arts, social programs, science and work with young people.

In addition, Finland is actively fighting gaming addiction. According to statistics, 78% of Finnish citizens participate in at least one gamble once a year, 37% play slot models, and 15% play them weekly. RAY annually transfers up to 3 million EUR to combat this problem, and sponsors about 1,000 non-profit organizations.

Finland is one of the most gambling countries in Europe. Despite the fact that there is still a monopoly in the country for the provision of services offline and online-casino institutions, the gambling-driven entertainment industry in the country is actively developing. As before, only three Finnish companies under strict state control can work in this area. Due to this, the state budget is replenished annually by 1.1 billion EUR.

In the prospects of gambling-driven business in Finland is the preservation and strengthening of the current state monopoly. The Finnish gambling-driven entertainment market is unlikely to open to commercial operators in the near future. Rather, the government will introduce more radical measures and legal powers to prevent citizens from betting on foreign online-casino institutions. Since at present this aspect of the gambling-driven entertainment business in Finland is not perfect, the Finns are free to play on foreign websites, which are happy to accept them. The current legislation does not provide for acts that suppress such a situation.

Online Casinos in other Countries

Cyprus

Denmark

Dominican Republic

Egypt