Gambling activities in Finland have always been heavily regulated by the Finnish Government. The state controls and oversees everything from brick-and-mortar casinos and land-based bookmakers to online betting sites and online casino sites.
Casino games like video slots and bookmakers can be found almost everywhere in Finland, which gives a massive boost to the local economy and allows various businesses to excel.
There are instances where you will be able to place bets in the most unusual places, like a gas station or a supermarket. What’s more so, bettors from Finland can also massive boost to the local economy.
New betting sites in Finland are like any other sports bookmaker globally. They offer numerous sports to bet on, feature all kinds of bonuses, and make different types of bets available.
Continue reading our article or visit Kantacasino.com to find out how to look for the best Finnish betting sites, check the list of online bookmakers, what popular sports they feature, their bonuses, which bet types are available, their payment methods, or check something else!
How to Find the Best Betting Sites in Finland
You will need to cross a few checkboxes to deem a bookie as one of the best betting sites in Finland.
The main thing you need to look for is a valid license from a reputable authority. There are no license providers in Finland because there is a monopoly system, and everything is owned and operated by Veikkaus.
However, given that Finnish bettors can access offshore betting sites, there are a few license providers to look for on potential sites you may want to sign up with. The best betting sites are usually licensed by the UK Gambling Commission or the Malta Gaming Authority.
Players can check this information on the terms and conditions page or by looking for the organization’s symbol, always showcased at the bottom of the main page.
Another feature to focus on is the betting odds the bookie provides. A reputable betting site will have favorable odds for all popular sports, as well as feature odds for events that interest Finnish players.
Bonuses are also a big part of betting sites, and they’re the biggest attraction for new players. Usually, the best betting sites in Finland provide free bets as a no deposit signup reward or as part of another deal.
Lastly, you may want to pay attention to mobile availability. Some of the best sports betting sites in Finland will either have a fully mobile-optimized website or a dedicated mobile app, which the Finnish bettors can download on their mobile or tablet devices.
Top Sports to Bet on in Finland
Sports betting in Finland is immensely popular, and Finland betting sites offer numerous sports options to bet on. You are going to spot sports like football, basketball, motorsports, horse racing, tennis, rugby, darts, golf, etc. However, there are a few sports considered favorites among Finnish players:
- Ice-Hockey
- Winter Sports
- Pesapallo
- Football
Ice-Hockey
The best Finnish betting sites feature ice hockey in their sportsbook and provide a range of bet types. You will find odds for multiple ice hockey leagues available such as the NHL, KHL, SHL, and of course, Finland’s national league – Liiga.
The Stanly Cup is one of the best live streaming events for betting in Finland. You have possibly the two best teams in the world, going head-to-head for the championship.
Before the series even starts, there is a chance many sports betting sites will offer free bets to new members. Plus, there are even compensation bonuses in free bets, given for those who have unsuccessfully wagered on other games.
Winter Sports
As you could have guessed, any sport remotely close to snow is wildly popular in Finland. The marvelous Winter Olympics, Winter X Games, and the Alpine World Ski Championships are considered the staple of sports betting in Finland.
Even if you tried, you wouldn’t be able to find an online gambling site that doesn’t offer winter sports for players to bet on. At the very least, a betting site will offer some sort of wager on some ski jumping event, ice skate race, etc.
Pesapallo
If you aren’t a bettor from Finland or the Nordic countries, you have probably never heard of Pesapallo. The sport is similar to baseball, played with bats and a ball. As a popular sport in Finland, Austria, Germany, Canada, and Switzerland, Pesapallo has entertained hundreds of thousands of people since the 1920s.
It is the national sport of Finland, so it is evident why Finnish players regularly bet on it.
Moreover, Finland has won every Pesapallo World Cup to this day, attracting even more Finish bettors to wager on it. You will undoubtedly find some of the best odds for this sport on the Finnish betting sites.
Football
Finland is no exception when it comes to placing bets on football matches. Although some national sports are more popular, there are still bettors who like placing bets on some of the most popular football leagues in the world. These include the Premier League, Seria A, Bundesliga, La Liga, and others.
Bookmakers in Finland also give favorable odds when the Finnish Men’s Football National team plays. Currently, Finland holds the 57th spot on the FIFA Men’s World Rankings. They weren’t fortunate enough to qualify for the next FIFA World Cup, even though many thought they had a relatively easy group stage.
Big competitions like the World Cup, the Champions League, and the Europa League, are some of the tournaments that bettors from Finland like to wager on.
Type of Bets Finnish Bettors Can Place
Players need to know that there are dozens of bet types available at all betting sites in Finland. There are some which are generic and can be used in every sport, while others are a bit more specific.
For all those new bettors that want to experience sports betting, here are some of the most popular and basic types of bets most Finnish betting sites offer:
- Money Line Bets
- Prop Bets
- Futures Bets
Money Line Bets
One of the most common and basic bet bettors can place is the money line bet. This is also the most simple type of sports staking. All you have to do is look at the teams or individuals that are going up against each other and pick who you think will be the winner.
If you are new to the sport, or to money line betting, the simplest way to see who is the favorite of the match is by reading the odds. The team or individual that has the lower odds, or better odds is the favorite, and the one that has the higher odds, or worse odds is the underdog.
There are times when you will be given the same odds for both teams or individuals. In this case, in order to take advantage of your bet, you may have to do some research on both sides and pick the one you think will be victorious.
Prop Bets
When it comes to prop bets, different betting sites will have different types of prop bets. A prop bet is a wager in sports betting where the final score or outcome of the game doesn’t matter. These are quick and easy bets that any bettor can place.
Generally, there are three types of prop bets – player props, game props, and exotic props. A player prop is anything that involves the statistics of one player. For example, you can place a bet on a specific ice hockey player that you think will score a goal.
Game props, on the other hand, involve the whole team. So a game prop will be something like, which team will be the first to score a goal, or which team will get to 3 goals first. Depending on the sport you’re betting on, game props will be different.
Finally, exotic or novelty bets are special because you won’t get to wager on them throughout the whole year. This is because they become available only on some special events or championships. Betting sites offer these types of bets to enhance entertainment whilst a massive event is happening.
One interesting example of an exotic bet is which team will win the coin toss. Or to get even more absurd, what color shirt will the manager of one team wear? You won’t find any special or enormous odds with this type of bet, however, it will still be fun playing.
Futures Bets
Last but not least, futures bets are also a big part of Finnish betting sites. To make things clear, a futures bet isn’t making a bet and waiting for a game that will be played in a few days or weeks. A futures bet is one where you determine an outcome for the whole season or championship before it has even started.
These are probably one of the more difficult bets to wager because so many things can happen during a season or throughout a whole championship. A simple example will be placing a futures bet on who will win the Stanly Cup in the NHL or who will be the new Pesapallo World Cup.
Because there are a lot of variables, the futures bets have some of the highest odds, making them high-risk/high-reward bets.
Bonuses at Finnish Betting Sites
There are too many types of promotions that exist today, so to make things simpler, we will only showcase the ones that are offered the most in Finland betting sites.
Some of the more popular bonuses that bettors can get at a betting site in Finland are welcome bonuses and free bets.
Welcome bonuses at betting sites are almost always either a deposit match that will be given when a player makes a deposit or they can receive up to 10, 20, or 50 euros in free bets. With a welcome bonus, there are always some requirements that need to be fulfilled before bettors are able to withdraw winnings.
Free bets are not a usual incentive that betting sites offer, however, they are the most desired. At the best betting sites, players can sometimes get 50 euros in free bets. However, because these types of perks can be claimed without making a deposit, the play-through requirement will be higher.
Payment Methods
| Payment Method | Type | Additional Fees | Min. Deposit | Processing Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visa/MasterCard | Credit/debit card | No fees | €10 – €15 | 1- 3 days |
| PayPal | e-wallet | No fees | €10 | Up to 2 days |
| Skrill | e-wallet | No fees | €2 – €10 | Up to 2 days |
| Neteller | e-wallet | No fees | €5 – €10 | Up to 2 days |
| Trustly | e-wallet | No fees | €10 | Instant |
| Bitcoin | Cryptocurrency | No fees | 1mBTC | Instant |
When it comes to the payment methods that betting sites in Finland offer, bettors will see that there are various options provided to satisfy a larger audience.
Once new bettors have experienced some of the betting types using free bets that some sports betting sites offer, they can go on and make their first deposit.
Depending on the sports betting site, the minimum deposit can be different and can range from Є10 up to Є30 or Є40. Most of the sports betting sites will have credit and debit card options, e-wallets, and cryptocurrencies.
Credit and Debit Cards
A credit or debit card option is one of the more basic ways members of betting sites can deposit or withdraw funds. This type of banking method is slowly being less used, not because it is less safe, but because some of the other options that betting sites offer have a faster withdrawal time.
With the establishment of e-wallets and most recently cryptocurrencies, withdrawal has gotten way faster and it’s something that credit/debit cards can’t compete with. The most obvious options are Visa, MasterCard, and Maestro.
E-wallets
Since e-wallets have been introduced to the world, money transactions became faster and simpler. Online gambling sites in Finland usually make the most of the digital wallets, in order to take advantage of their ease of use.
Any e-wallet that bettors use on the best Finnish betting sites will distribute the deposit funds instantly and in some cases, the withdrawal funds will also be transferred instantly.
Some of the more popular e-wallet methods are Paysafecard, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, ecoPayz, Zimpler, and Trustly. There are instances where some of the e-wallet methods can even require lower minimum deposit amounts compared to other payment methods available at the betting site.
Cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrencies are currently taking online gambling to a whole new level. They are the most recent payment methods that have been added to betting sites in Finland. In the past couple of years, many bettors prefer using crypto as their way of making deposits and withdrawing funds.
Some of the most popular crypto options that the best Finnish betting sites offer are Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dogecoin, and Tether. If you pay attention to detail, you may find betting sites in Finland where deposits and withdrawals using cryptocurrencies are instant.
Conclusion
Online gambling has been legal in Finland for decades now, and even though there is a monopoly system, Finnish betting sites are thriving and millions of users place bets on various types of sports.
If you stick to the info that we have given you, like looking for a betting site with a legit license, or trying to find a sports betting site that offers lucrative odds for all their sports, you will certainly have a blast placing bets on your favorite sports.
Claiming a promotion won’t hurt as well, as almost all of the betting sites in Finland will offer some sort of bonus, whether it is a welcome perk, a free bet, etc.
All in all, sports betting in Finland is a great way for bettors to pass the time and have some fun while watching the game or event they have wagered on.
FAQ
Is sports betting legal in Finland?
Since the 1920s, the time the first slot machines were imported from Germany, any type of gambling has been allowed in Finland. Over the years, there have been some laws that have been passed and legislations updated. Also, bettors are allowed to go to offshore operators that allow players from Finland.
How do I make a bet at Finnish Betting Sites?
First of all, you will have to find a betting site that has all the important features. Creating an account is the next big step. Once players have created an account, they can either claim a promo that gives them free bets or make a minimum deposit and place a bet.
Which payment methods are available at Betting Sites in Finland?
Each betting site will have a variety of banking options for its members. Almost all betting sites will have credit/debit card options, e-wallets, and/or cryptocurrencies. A few of the more popular and most used payment methods are Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Bitcoin, and Ethereum.
Which sports do bettors in Finland like to place bets on?
Even though bettors can find numerous sports at betting sites in Finland, there are a few sports that they love wagering on. Sports including ice hockey, winter sports, Pesapallo, and football are the ones that bettors enjoy the most. Moreover, eSports has also taken the county by storm in the past couple of years.