Finland's state monopoly Veikkaus returned to growth in H1 2026 as it prepares to pay around €1bn for a ten-year exclusive licence ahead of the market opening on 1 July 2027.
Revenue for the six months rose from €466.4m to €471.3m, net profit from €229.6m to €234.2m. Digital channels drove the increase: 64.5% of GGR came from online, up 3.6% year-on-year, while land-based points accounted for 35.5%. Registered accounts reached 2,672,000.
Lottery and land-based gaming GGR stood at €317.9m, flat on H1 2025's €317.5m, though digital lottery grew 9.1%. Betting and online casino delivered €151.6m GGR against €146.5m, with online up 5%.
Under liberalisation Veikkaus will retain its monopoly on lotteries, slots, scratch cards and live tables. Betting and online casino will open to competitors. The €1bn compensation will be paid over ten years, a substantial portion before end-2026.
B2B arm Fennica Gaming posted revenue of €10.3m, up 80.6% from €5.7m in H1 2025. The unit entered Canada and expanded in Italy, Germany, Mexico, Czech Republic and Iceland. Fennica now operates across three continents in 21 jurisdictions as Veikkaus targets international reach by end-2030.
