Call Peluuri on 0800 100 101. It is free and confidential, open every weekday 12:00–18:00, with a chat on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Finland has no cross-operator self-exclusion register yet: until 1 July 2027 Veikkaus is the only operator allowed to offer gambling here, so blocks are set in Oma Veikkaus, for a fixed term of up to a year or open-ended. Treatment is free, through your wellbeing services county, or the free online CBT programme Peli poikki, which needs no referral. The age limit is 18.
| National helpline | 0800 100 101 — Peluuri, free, weekdays 12:00–18:00 |
|---|---|
| National self-exclusion register | None yet — blocks are set with Veikkaus, the only permitted operator |
| Veikkaus play block | Fixed term up to one year, or open-ended; set in Oma Veikkaus |
| Free treatment | Yes — wellbeing services counties; Peli poikki online CBT, no referral |
| Regulator | National Police Board; Finnish Supervisory Agency from 1 July 2027 |
| Market reform | Betting and online casino open to licensing on 1 July 2027 |
| Legal gambling age | 18 |
Verified helplines
| Service | Phone / chat | Hours | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peluuri | 0800 100 101Chat Mon, Wed, Fri 12:00–15:00 | Helpline open every weekday 12:00–18:00; free and confidentialFinnish; English if possible | peluuri.fi/en |
Helplines and online chat
Peluuri is the national service for gambling problems: 0800 100 101, free and confidential, open every weekday from 12:00 to 18:00. The chat runs Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12:00 to 15:00. Counselling is in Finnish, and in English where possible.
Peluuri also runs OmaPeluuri, an online peer-support service: discussion groups, a gambling diary, monthly guided chats, a separate track for significant others, and a six-week peer group called Kickstart Change. All of it is free.
If you are thinking about ending your life, call 112, the emergency number across the EU and Norway. Peluuri is a support service, not an emergency line; if tonight is the crisis, call 112 first and Peluuri tomorrow. A gambling helpline is not a crisis line; use both if you need to. More numbers: findahelpline.com and our helplines directory.
Self-exclusion
As of September 2026 Finland has no national self-exclusion register spanning several operators, and there is a simple reason: until 1 July 2027 Veikkaus Oy is the only company permitted to offer gambling in Finland. A block set with Veikkaus therefore covers everything that is legally on offer domestically.
How to set a Veikkaus play block
Through your Oma Veikkaus account you can set a fixed-term block of up to one year, or an open-ended block, on chosen games or all games. On a gaming machine in a shop, kiosk, petrol station or restaurant there is an Estä pelaaminen (block gambling) button that stops play until the end of the next day. That is useful in the moment, but Peluuri’s advice is to set the block online rather than at the machine, because standing at the machine is where relapse starts. You can also set the spending limit on your card to €0 for machines.
All Veikkaus gambling requires identification, which is what makes the blocks bite rather than depend on self-restraint. For gaming halls and casinos, an entry ban of three to twelve months is arranged with venue staff.
A Veikkaus block does nothing about offshore sites, and that is where the gap is. Pair it with a blocking app on every device: see apps that block gambling sites.
Under the new Gambling Act, consumers will be able to use a centralised system to set gambling blocks covering games from any licence holder. That arrives with the licensed market, not before. Compare with the Danish and Swedish registers in self-exclusion by country.
Free treatment and counselling
Public services for gambling problems in Finland are free. Mental health, substance abuse and addiction services are organised by the wellbeing services counties (hyvinvointialueet), and occupational health services and student health services are alternative routes if you are working or studying.
Peli poikki is the treatment most people can start immediately: a free web-based programme of eight modules built on cognitive behavioural therapy with motivational interviewing, supported by a trained online therapist. No referral is needed, and research on it has shown a significant reduction in gambling problems. Details are on THL, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.
Support for family and friends
Peluuri’s helpline and chat are open to family members and to professionals, not only to people who gamble, and OmaPeluuri has a dedicated track for significant others. The wellbeing services counties’ addiction services are also intended for relatives.
You cannot set a play block on another adult’s Veikkaus account. What you can do is stop absorbing the losses and get advice on your own position first: see how to help someone with a gambling problem.
Gambling law and the regulator
Gambling in Finland is currently supervised by the National Police Board, and the Lotteries Act sets a minimum age of 18. State-owned Veikkaus Oy holds the exclusive right to run gambling games.
That changes on a fixed schedule. Parliament adopted the new Gambling Act on 16 December 2025 and the President approved it on 16 January 2026; operators could apply for licences from the National Police Board from 1 March 2026. Most provisions enter into force on 1 July 2027, when betting, online slot and casino games and online money bingo open to licensed competition, and a new Finnish Supervisory Agency takes over supervision. Veikkaus keeps the monopoly on lottery-type games, scratch cards, and physical slot machines and casino games.
Until then, foreign online operators are not licensed providers in Finland, which is why they do not check any Finnish block and why marketing them here is not permitted.
Frequently asked questions
How do I block myself from gambling in Finland?
Set a play block (peliesto) in your Oma Veikkaus account — a fixed term of up to one year, or open-ended, on chosen games or all of them. At a gaming machine the Estä pelaaminen button blocks play until the end of the next day. For gaming halls and casinos, ask staff for an entry ban of three to twelve months.
Is there a national self-exclusion register in Finland?
Not yet. Until 1 July 2027 Veikkaus is the only operator permitted to offer gambling in Finland, so blocks are set with Veikkaus rather than in a central register. The new Gambling Act introduces a centralised system letting consumers set blocks covering games from any licence holder.
Is gambling treatment free in Finland?
Yes. Public mental health, substance abuse and addiction services organised by the wellbeing services counties are free of charge, and so is Peli poikki, an eight-module online CBT programme with a trained therapist that needs no referral. Peluuri’s helpline, chat and peer support are free too.
When does Finland’s gambling monopoly end?
On 1 July 2027 for betting, online slot and casino games and online money bingo, which open to licensed competition; licence applications to the National Police Board opened on 1 March 2026. Veikkaus keeps the monopoly on lottery-type games, scratch cards and physical slot machines and casino games.
Sources
- Peluuri — helpline, chat and OmaPeluuri peer support
- Peluuri — rajoita pelaamista (Veikkaus play blocks, machine block, entry bans)
- THL — Rahapeliongelman tuki ja hoito (free public services, Peli poikki)
- Ministry of the Interior — Gambling (age limit 18, National Police Board supervision)
- Ministry of the Interior — Reform of the gambling system (dates, authorities)
- Finnish Government — licensing introduced to open betting and online casino market