Compliance Updates
Navigating Legal Frontiers: Nordic Legal’s Vision for the Finnish Gambling Market
The Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 brought together top experts across the iGaming and tech landscape, and Nordic Legal stood out as the event’s Scandinavian Legal Expertise Sponsor. A renowned legal advisory firm in the Nordic region, Nordic Legal continues to shape the future of gambling legislation and compliance in Europe.
In this post-event interview, we caught up with Pekka Ilmivalta, Head of the Finnish Office at Nordic Legal, to dive deeper into the firm’s insights on the upcoming Finnish gambling reform, the legal challenges it poses, and the opportunities it presents for operators preparing to enter the market.
Finland is preparing to launch its regulated gambling sector in January 2026. As an expert with over 20 years of experience in the gambling industry, how do you view its draft legislation and the current state of the Finnish gambling market?
Finns are used to gambling online, and the size of the market is close to 2 billion euros in GGR. As the market share of the national monopoly operator, Veikkaus, has declined to around 50 percent, nearly half of the gambling spending already takes place outside the Finnish regulation. Therefore, the gambling legislation reform is really needed.
The Government Proposal now being dealt with in the Finnish Parliament is generally a comprehensive and a good package. As the political parties are quite unanimous about the need for the reform, I expect the parliamentary discussion to concentrate on the balance between responsibility measures and the features making the market interesting enough for the operators to enter the regulated market. Especially marketing, use of affiliates and bonusing will, and should, be discussed.
I believe that the Parliament will approve the new legislation early next autumn and that the B2C license application process will be able to begin already in January next year.
The Finnish legislative review council has raised concerns about potential increases in gambling harms under the new regulatory framework. What measures do you believe are necessary to mitigate these risks, and how could Finland balance market liberalization with responsible gambling practices?
Personally, I think that gambling harms must be taken seriously. However, as almost half of the Finnish gambling now happens outside the regulated market, I am convinced that succeeding in channelization is a crucial starting point to really mitigate gambling harms. Therefore, attractiveness of the market and measures against the black market are extremely important. Furthermore, self-exclusion and responsible gambling tools are, of course, needed for the players. Generally, I believe that AI assisted monitoring could and will have an important role in preventing harmful gambling in the future. To really work, responsible gambling tools need to be both pragmatic and relevant for each individual player.
Considering Finland’s upcoming gambling reform, what legal and operational challenges should gambling operators be prepared for, particularly regarding compliance and player protection? Which key trends do you see shaping the market’s future?
As it seems now that affiliates and welcome bonuses will be banned, operators will have to find other means to build their brand and acquire customers. Even though traditional marketing and sponsoring are widely acceptable, I would expect to see innovative solutions to stand out from the probable marketing avalanche during the first months after the market opening. Perhaps new kinds of sponsorships or retail activities? Or even enhanced player protection measures to gain a competitive edge?
Overall, I would advise operators to start their market entry preparations early enough. The licensing procedure could take several (6 to 9) months. Also, adjusting to the local technical and player protection requirements might not happen overnight.
What insights could help Finland create a balanced and effective gambling market?
I believe that the new legislation will provide a good enough framework for a functional gambling market. However, based on experiences from Sweden and Denmark, I would point out two practical aspects crucial to making the new legislation effective: First, there needs to be collaboration between licensed operators and the new regulator. Dialogue and a mutual will to find solutions should be the common mindset. Secondly, the regulator hopefully has enough resources (tools, persons and persistence) to interfere with the black-market operations, which will evidently still exist also after the reform.
Nordic Legal has extensive experience advising European governments on regulatory best practices. How can your firm assist operators looking to enter the Finnish market and navigate the evolving legal landscape?
With our deep knowledge of Finnish legislation, extensive experience from regulatory developments in other jurisdictions, and strong industry relationships, we are well-positioned to support operators and B2B suppliers entering the Finnish market. We can offer comprehensive guidance not only on compliance and licensing, but also on navigating strategic challenges, ensuring our clients are well-prepared for a dynamic and shifting legal landscape. Our proactive approach enables us to identify regulatory changes early and help clients stay ahead of industry developments.
The post Navigating Legal Frontiers: Nordic Legal’s Vision for the Finnish Gambling Market appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
BETER has secured a license in Kentucky, expanding the availability of its Setka Cup table tennis and ESportsBattle betting content to a ninth US state. The approval was granted by the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming (KHRG), the state regulator.
The Kentucky approval adds to BETER’s existing US footprint in Florida, New Jersey, Colorado, Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, and Illinois. The license allows BETER to supply operators in Kentucky with live data and live streams from Setka Cup and ESportsBattle tournaments.
BETER said the content is already live for Kentucky bettors through bet365, which it described as a long-standing operator partner.
Chuck Robinson, CRO at BETER, said: “Kentucky is a state with a deep sporting heritage, and we’re excited to bring our exclusive Setka Cup and ESportsBattle content to operators and bettors there. Reaching nine US states is an important milestone that reflects the growing appetite for fast-betting content across the country.
“The US market is evolving rapidly, and players are increasingly seeking round-the-clock, high-quality betting experiences. BETER is built to meet that demand, and each new state we enter strengthens our position as the go-to provider of fast-betting content worldwide.”
Valeriia Tarchynska, Chief Legal Officer at BETER, added: “Receiving both approval and license is the result of sustained and meticulous regulatory and compliance work by our team. The US licensing landscape is uniquely complex, with each state operating under its own distinct framework, and we take great pride in meeting those requirements wherever we operate.
“With nine states now approved, the US continues to be a cornerstone of BETER’s global strategy. We are actively pursuing approvals in additional key states and remain fully committed to expanding our footprint across the country and beyond.”
The post BETER secures Kentucky license, bringing Setka Cup and ESportsBattle to ninth US state appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
BETER, the award-winning provider of live streams, live data, and odds for esports and sports, has further strengthened its US presence after its exclusive Setka Cup table tennis and ESportsBattle content was added to the Sports Wagering catalog and licensed in the State of Kentucky.
The approval and license were granted by the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming (KHRG), the independent municipal corporation and political subdivision of the Commonwealth responsible for regulating horse racing, pari-mutuel wagering, sports wagering, breed integrity and development, and charitable gaming in the state.
Kentucky is the ninth US state where BETER’s exclusive content is now available, joining Florida, New Jersey, Colorado, Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, and Illinois.
The approval allows BETER to supply operators in Kentucky with live data and live streams from both its Setka Cup table tennis and ESportsBattle tournaments for the first time.
All content is already live for local bettors via bet365, BETER’s long-standing operator partner, reinforcing the demand for fast-paced betting content from operators in the space.
BETER exclusively delivers 24/7 live streaming, real-time data, and hyper-accurate odds for more than 700,000 fast-paced esports and sports events annually to operators worldwide. The company offers up to 50 markets per event and helps operators achieve an average margin of 7.5%+. Its esports portfolio includes ESportsBattle, featuring eFootball, eBasketball, eHockey, and eTennis, while its sports portfolio includes Setka Cup table tennis and the BSKT Cup basketball league.
All of BETER’s exclusive content is underpinned by its Integrity team, ensuring strict adherence to fair play standards through 24/7 monitoring and close collaboration with key sports integrity bodies, including IBIA and ESIC, as well as sports federations.
Chuck Robinson, CRO at BETER, said: “Kentucky is a state with a deep sporting heritage, and we’re excited to bring our exclusive Setka Cup and ESportsBattle content to operators and bettors there. Reaching nine US states is an important milestone that reflects the growing appetite for fast-betting content across the country.
“The US market is evolving rapidly, and players are increasingly seeking round-the-clock, high-quality betting experiences. BETER is built to meet that demand, and each new state we enter strengthens our position as the go-to provider of fast-betting content worldwide.”
Valeriia Tarchynska, Chief Legal Officer at BETER, added: “Receiving both approval and license is the result of sustained and meticulous regulatory and compliance work by our team. The US licensing landscape is uniquely complex, with each state operating under its own distinct framework, and we take great pride in meeting those requirements wherever we operate.
“With nine states now approved, the US continues to be a cornerstone of BETER’s global strategy. We are actively pursuing approvals in additional key states and remain fully committed to expanding our footprint across the country and beyond.”
The post BETER reaches ninth US state with the acquisition of a Kentucky license appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
KingMidas Games, a leading iGaming provider, announced that 24 of its game titles have successfully obtained certification for Peru, marking a significant milestone in the brand’s global expansion strategy and its ongoing commitment to technical excellence.
The certification, formally titled “Certificate of Compliance for gaming programs, game modalities and/or components related to remote gaming and/or sports betting”, has been issued following systematic testing conducted by Global Lab. As part of this process, KingMidas Games has also secured Random Number Generator (RNG) and security certifications, ensuring that its games comply with regulatory technical standards.
Further reinforcing the credibility of this achievement, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism of Peru (MINCETUR) has officially registered and approved the certified games for operation in the country, solidifying Peru as a key market in KingMidas Games’ Latin American growth strategy.
As part of its broader compliance roadmap, KingMidas Games is actively working with multiple accredited testing laboratories to secure additional certifications across key jurisdictions. This multi-lab approach enables the brand to accelerate speed to market while maintaining the highest standards of quality, performance, and regulatory compliance across its portfolio.
This milestone represents a pivotal step in KingMidas Games’ mission to expand its global footprint and deliver premium, localised gaming experiences to players worldwide. With Peru emerging as one of the fastest-growing iGaming markets in Latin America, KingMidas Games is well-positioned to support operators seeking differentiated and high-performance content tailored to local audiences.
Sean Auret, Global Head at KingMidas Games, said: “Achieving certification in Peru is a significant milestone for KingMidas Games and a testament to the high standards we uphold across our portfolio. We have undergone extensive testing and compliance processes to ensure our games meet the regulatory benchmarks, and we are proud to bring our next-generation experiences to Peru. Our ambition is to continue expanding across key global markets such as Latin America, delivering innovative and high-quality content that empowers operators and supercharges the player experience across the region.”
With a growing portfolio of cutting-edge titles and a strong focus on compliance, KingMidas Games continues to position itself as a trusted partner for operators looking to unlock new opportunities in Peru.
The post KingMidas Games Secures Peru Certification appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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