Finland has notified the European Commission of draft technical rules requiring gambling license holders to connect to a centralized self-exclusion register, a consumer-protection component of the country’s new licensing regime.
The measure, prepared by the Finnish Lotteries and Gambling Administration at the National Police Board, sets the connection methods and technical requirements for the supervisory authority’s control-system interface. It covers request formats, system responses and error notifications, with the aim of providing uniform conditions for licensees while allowing different gaming platforms to implement the system.
Before permitting a player to gamble, operators would have to query the authority’s system to establish whether the player has self-excluded. Players would be able to exclude themselves from all registered gambling involving cash prizes, and authorized operators could not permit participation in activities covered by an exclusion.
The rules are founded on Article 45, paragraph 4, of the Gambling Act, which empowers the supervisory authority to set technical requirements for connections to its interface. The supporting documentation says general regulation alone would not provide centralized, reliable, real-time checks without detailed technical specifications.
A verification log would record registry operations and checks. It is intended to reduce abuse and technical risks by ensuring that exclusions are associated with the correct players. The proposed obligations would impose costs limited to the technical work required for reliable checks and the register’s proper operation.
The National Police Board consulted on the technical regulations from June 3 to July 15, 2025. It received 21 submissions, including 11 through Lausuntopalvelu.fi and 10 sent directly to the Gambling Administration. Consultation feedback led to clarifications, and a proposed requirement to query the register periodically during gambling activity was removed.
The interface rules sit within Finland’s move toward a competitive licensing model. Parliament has approved the new Gambling Act, ending Veikkaus’ exclusive rights over betting and online slot-machine and casino games when licensed operations begin on July 1, 2027. Companies have been able to apply for licences since March 1.
The Commission notification’s standstill period expires on Feb. 15, 2027.
