The survey also reported that public perception was uneven about upcoming reforms to the Finnish gambling market that would see Veikkaus lose its online monopoly.
A survey of 1,000 Finnish residents found that blocking payments to unauthorized gambling sites is widely considered to be the single most effective means of combating illegal gambling.
The survey, commissioned by affiliate site Turtlebet and conducted by Virendi in April 2026, asked a nationally representative sample of Finns aged 18 to 65 about their opinions on the upcoming overhaul of Finland’s gambling system.
Participants were asked about strategies to combat unlicensed operators and whether foreign gambling offers are driving players away from the licensed domestic platform Veikkaus.
Finland is preparing for a complete overhaul of its gambling market. The country is moving away from the long-standing monopoly model operated by Veikkaus and toward a licensing framework that opens up parts of the market to private operators.
Under the reform package, companies will be able to apply for licenses from 2026, ahead of the scheduled launch of a regulated market on July 1, 2027. The poll also highlighted the unevenness of public perception of these reforms.
Main findings
The survey, conducted among respondents across Finland by gender, age and region, found that 67% of participants were aware that changes to gambling laws were imminent. Awareness was significantly higher among men (80%) compared to women (54%) and increased with age, rising to 71% among those aged 50 to 65 years. This compared to 63% of young adults aged 18 to 34.
Only 30% of respondents agreed that more attractive bonuses and promotions are a factor in why users choose foreign unlicensed gambling sites. This was balanced by 41% who disagreed and 29% who were unsure.
Men (43%) are more likely than women (18%) to think bonuses are influential. Younger respondents (18-34 years) showed slightly higher agreement (35%) than older age groups.
When asked which measures would be most effective to deter the use of illegal gambling sites, respondents (32%) supported blocking payments to these operators. This was in addition to strengthening the appeal of licensed domestic products (26%).
Technical measures such as Internet Protocol (IP) blocking were less popular (11%), and nearly a third of respondents (29%) were uncertain about the best approach.
Public perception of the blacklist of illegal gambling sites was mixed. A plurality of respondents (43%) believed that a public blacklist would not prevent them from using the site. However, 24% thought it would be the case, and the rest were undecided.
Demographic changes
Men had a higher awareness of reform and were more likely to cite bonuses from overseas sites as a reason for their user selection. Women were more likely to reject bonuses as a motivating factor.
Younger respondents showed the most uncertainty across several questions, and were slightly more optimistic about the potential impact of blacklisting illegal sites (29% of 18-34 year olds supported it, compared to 23% overall).
Approximately 30% of respondents were from the Helsinki metropolitan area, with a high proportion from high-income groups. High-income respondents were more likely to believe that expatriate bonuses influence consumer behavior.
Illegal markets across Europe
Finland’s liberalization process has been driven in part by concerns that the monopoly system can no longer effectively steer Finnish consumers toward regulated products.
“The aim of this bill is to find a regulatory solution that balances regulations to combat gambling harm with the fact that gambling companies want to apply for licenses and that online gambling is directed towards the provision of regulated games,” Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said during the bill’s first parliamentary passage.
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