Already planning your 2027 media buying? In July, dozens of new advertisers arrive in Finland with big budgets and only a few places to spend them. You’ll see it in the price of your ads too.
What changes on 1 July 2027?
Veikkaus’s monopoly partly ends. Online casinos and betting open to licensed companies on 1 July 2027. By 26 October 2026, the National Police Board had received 79 licence applications and granted 12 licences. A licence doesn’t yet allow an operator to offer games: operations can only start when the market opens.
The new Gambling Act allows marketing, but it must stay moderate in volume and scope. Here’s how the rules apply by channel:
| Channel | Allowed? | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| TV, radio and video | Yes | Brand advertising, moderate in volume |
| Search | Yes | Moderate, like all marketing |
| Out-of-home and sponsorship | Limited | The Act sets its own conditions |
| Social media | Limited | Own accounts only, no conversations with followers |
| Direct marketing | Limited | Only with explicit consent |
| Bonuses | Limited | Existing customers only, and moderate |
| Influencers | No | Banned |
Marketing must not target minors or vulnerable people either.
The result: the money can’t go to influencers, affiliate sites or welcome bonuses. Instead it flows into brand advertising in big media – TV, video services, radio, out-of-home and search.
What happened in other countries?
- The Netherlands. Online gambling opened in October 2021. In October–November 2021 there were 366,631 gambling ads, compared with 170,066 in the same months a year earlier (Nielsen). The backlash came fast: from 1 July 2023, untargeted gambling ads on TV, radio, in print and outdoors were banned.
- The UK. After TV gambling ads were allowed, their number rose from 152,000 (2006) to 1.39 million (2012). Their share of all TV ads grew from 0.7% to 4.1% (Ofcom).
- Sweden. Gambling ad spend in traditional media peaked in 2018, just before licensing began, at SEK 7.3 billion. By 2022 it was SEK 3.4 billion, as money moved to digital channels (Spelinspektionen).
The ad spike comes right at the start, and it hits TV first.
How much more will media cost?
No country has published figures on the price effect, so the numbers below are Genero’s estimates. Here’s how we got them: up to €100 million is split across the channels the law allows, and most of it arrives in July–December 2027 – right in the Christmas season.
For scale, Finland’s linear TV ad market was about €210 million in 2023 (RadioMedia, based on Kantar figures). If €35–40 million goes into TV in half a year, demand rises by tens of percent.
| Channel | Estimate Jul–Dec 2027 | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| TV | +10–35% | Lock in prices, avoid live sport in H2 |
| Finnish video services | +8–25% | Buy ahead and track prices |
| Digital out-of-home | +5–20% | Book campaign slots early |
| Radio | +5–15% | Affordable reach, moderate rise |
| YouTube | +3–10% | Grow your share, test in spring |
| Meta and TikTok | +0–8% | Grow your share, test in spring |
| Search | +0–3% | No change unless you bid on gambling keywords |
TV doesn’t just get more expensive. When ad breaks fill up with gambling ads, your ad competes with more ads for attention. And not every brand wants to appear next to gambling ads.
How to plan your 2027 budget
- Lock prices now. Negotiate your 2027 TV, radio and out-of-home deals before the market opens, and ask for fixed prices for the second half too.
- Bring campaigns forward. Move flexible brand campaigns to January–June 2027.
- Keep a buffer. Budget 10–15% more for TV, video, radio and out-of-home in the second half if you want the same reach.
- Grow your digital share. Meta, TikTok and YouTube reach the same people with less price pressure. Test them in spring so you know what works when TV gets pricier.
- Track prices monthly. Agree a limit in advance: if TV cost per thousand runs more than 15% over plan, move part of the budget to digital.
- Check the ad environment. Ask media owners to keep your ads apart from gambling ads if that matters for your brand.
Lock in and bring forward your 2027 media buying now. In the second half you’ll compete with dozens of new gambling brands.
In short
Up to this much gambling ad money could flow to Finnish media in year one (Omnicom Media Group Finland estimate)
licence applications by 26 Oct 2026 – 12 licences already granted
higher TV ad prices at worst in H2 2027 (Genero estimate)
Need help with your 2027 media plan?
Contact us and we’ll go through your channels and budget together.
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Sources
- Waselius: Finland Adopts New Gambling Act (19 Dec 2025)
- Gambling.com: Finland Grants 12 Online Gambling Licences (27 Oct 2026)
- Yogonet: Finland’s gambling ad market set for rapid growth under strict new rules (27 Apr 2026)
- RadioMedia: Effects of advertising regulation on the Finnish media market (2024, in Finnish)
- NL Times: Gambling ads have doubled since online casinos legalized (20 Dec 2021)
- CMS: Dutch ban on untargeted advertising for online gambling begins 1 July 2023 (26 Apr 2023)
- Inside World Football: Ofcom research on gambling ads on British TV (27 Nov 2013)
- Lottery Daily: Swedish gambling lowering its volume in 2022 (6 Jul 2023)
About the author
Sebastian Östman
Sebastian Östman is a co-founder of Genero and an investor. He works on growth and AI-driven commercial development, and lives in Ostrobothnia.