Sports Betting Sites – A Look at Sports Betting in Finland

The gambling industry has grown tremendously in the past years, and it is still expected to do so all around the world. The Finnish gambling industry is no exception with a growth rate of around 10% per annum since 2016. For a population of over 5.5 million people, the gambling market has thrived in Finland, possibly thanks to the rich gambling culture present and the online sport gambling possibilities that this country has easily accessible. In this guide, we will find out more about sports betting in Finland, the culture of sports betting including esports and the best sites a Finnish player could use for a great betting experience.

Laws and Regulations

Since the end of World War II, the gambling industry has mostly been monopolised by Veikkaus, the only state-owned agency with the authorisation to offer sports betting and other gambling games in Finland. With over one billion euros being generated every year and being invested in other Finnish fields, one may think that this is daunting news to foreign online bookmakers. That is partially true, with the European Union constantly piling pressure on Finland to discard this monopoly.

However, it is still perfectly legal to bet in Finland and not only within this monopolisation. This is because players are not forbidden from using offshore bookmakers. In addition, Finland never adopted a gambling license system, a system found in many countries around the world. Licenses are therefore not issued to private operators. What this means is that huge betting operators such as LeoVegas and Betfair can freely accept players from Finland and risk no repercussions by Finnish authorities, although they are not allowed to advertise themselves in the country. It is also worth mentioning that Finnish players are not required to pay taxes on any winnings they might get, which is definitely an additional point in favour of getting into the gambling industry.

Most Popular Sports in Finland

Finland is a country that definitely loves sports and competitions overall. In fact, Finland is home to a number of quite unusual sports such as mobile phone throwing, Reindeer racing or even wife carrying – yeah, you read that correctly.

You might be surprised to know that bookies have offered bets on such sports in Finland in the past! A little less surprising would be the importance given to Formula 1 in terms of betting and overall love for the sport. Having produced world-renowned Formula 1 Drivers such as Valtteri Bottas, Mika Hakkinen and Kimi Raikkonen, the sport is definitely loved and adored by the general public. Other notable mentions would be ice hockey and football where a good number of Finnish talents can also be found.

Esports in Finland

Whilst traditional sports are quite sought after in Finland, the sport culture does not limit itself to traditional ones. Electronic sports have made huge leaps in the past few years. These competitive sports use electronic systems and have generated interest in most parts of the world with professional video gamers participating in huge tournaments with astounding prize pots. Finland has also seen its rise and adapted accordingly. In fact, Finnish esports players have been recognised officially as athletes since 2017, which has positive repercussions to the players even in terms of taxes.

Finland is also home to great esports players known worldwide for their skill in particular games. The introduction of Assembly, a high-quality tournament involving numerous games attracting players from all around the world has further solidified the importance of esports in the country. It is worth mentioning how the government has also introduced the Nordic eSports Academy Bootcamp in the aim of promoting interest in the industry. Finally, thanks to the previously mentioned love for football, Finnish football launched eFutisliiga which brings the love of football and esports together.

With esports rising up in popularity, Finnish fans have steadily increased their interest in betting on esports with previously mentioned competitions being available online for both viewing and betting.

Choosing a Good Finnish Betting Site

Bettors in Finland can definitely make use of the culture surrounding both traditional sports and esports and integrate it with the general love of the online sports gambling industry. It is important, however, to pick the right bookmaker. A number of factors should be kept in mind as these can definitely enhance or ruin your betting experience.

• One of the most vital parts of picking a bookie is ensuring that the odds being offered are great. Odds vary between one bookmaker and another and picking the one with the higher odds is greatly beneficial in terms of profit. Simply put, going for the higher odds means winning more money, even if it is for the same bet. It is important therefore to compare odds of different bookmakers online to ensure that the bookie you are picking offers great odds when compared to other bookmakers. Websites such as Suomi Veikkaus can definitely help in this regard.
• With the betting industry in the United Kingdom being regarded as one of the best in the world, it would be a good idea to pick a bookie with similar features to a top UK bookie. This is true for all players but even more so for non-Finnish players. Picking such a bookie guarantees fraud protection, data protection and good customer support in addition to an overall enjoyable betting experience.
• It is important to check bonuses and promotions of a particular bookmaker before signing up for one. Generally, bookmakers will offer bonuses and promotions that tickle the fancy of a number of players in some way or form. Going through the different bonuses will increase the chance of your own betting satisfaction. It is important to do research in this regard so that you do not miss out on fantastic offers simply because you were too quick to sign up for a different bookmaker.
• It is useful to know the best payment methods available. Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards are extremely popular among Finnish bettors. Electronic wallets such as PayPal or Skrill are also very common due to security they provide through the lack of card details given to bookmakers.