Veikkaus to launch Viabet in Finland and Denmark through Viaplay partnership

The state-owned operator’s first consumer brand outside Finland goes live on the day Finland’s licensed market opens.

Finland’s state-owned gambling operator Veikkaus will launch a new gaming brand, Viabet, in Finland and Denmark on 1 July 2027, the day Finland’s licensed gambling market opens. The brand will run under a commercial agreement with Viaplay Finland and Viaplay Denmark, which Veikkaus announced on 29 October.

Veikkaus’ first consumer brand outside Finland

Veikkaus will develop, own, and operate Viabet itself, according to the company. It is the first time the group has entered a business-to-consumer market outside Finland.

Until now, Veikkaus’ international business has been B2B. It runs through Fennica Gaming, a subsidiary set up in 2022 that supplies gaming technology and digital games to customers in 21 countries. Fennica’s revenue rose 80.6% to €10.3 million in the first half of 2026.

Viabet at a glance

Olli Sarekoski, Veikkaus’ president and CEO, said:

‘Viabet is a significant strategic step for Veikkaus and a concrete demonstration of how we are advancing our international growth ambitions. Through this partnership, we can build a differentiated offering, improve our competitiveness in the open market, and create a stronger foundation for scalable international consumer business based on Finnish expertise.’

What Viaplay brings to the deal

Viabet will use agreed parts of Viaplay’s sports media content. In return, Veikkaus will supply sports data and analytics for Viaplay’s sports coverage.

The two companies already work together. Veikkaus signed a multi-year partnership with Viaplay Group in February 2024, and Mikael Svensson, CEO of Viaplay Finland, said the companies already have ‘a great partnership’ in Finnish sports production.

Lars Bo Jeppesen, CEO of Viaplay Denmark, said:

‘From our very first meeting, it has been clear that Veikkaus has bold ambitions and the expertise to succeed in the Danish market, with responsibility at the heart of its plans.’

The announcement does not say whether Veikkaus holds or has applied for a Danish gambling licence.

Finland’s market opens with 18 licences granted

Under Finland’s gambling reform, betting and online casino games, including online slots, open to licensed operators from 1 July 2027. Veikkaus keeps exclusive rights to lottery games, scratch cards, and physical slot machines and casino games.

The National Police Board handles licensing until the end of June 2027. On 29 October, it said it had granted 18 licences and was processing 63 more applications. None of the 18 has gone to a Veikkaus company.

Veikkaus is preparing for both sides of the new system. In May, it set up two subsidiaries, one for its exclusive products and one for the competitive market, and applied for licences for both.

Jonas Reuter, Veikkaus’ EVP for international business, said the opening of the Finnish market ‘creates a significant growth opportunity for Veikkaus’ and that Viabet would let the company turn its expertise ‘into a scalable consumer business in selected markets’.

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