Europe

The first Parliament reading of Finland’s gambling bill shed light on the reasons for its implementation being delayed, as Licensing and Supervision Agency doesn’t have enough staff to hit the timeline.

A report from the Administrative Committee called for a six-month postponement to the implementation of the country’s commercial licensing gambling market until 1 July 2027.

Earlier this week, representatives in a Parliament plenary session debated the delay, as the market was initially scheduled to launch on 1 January 2027. The debate saw Tuomas Kettunen of the Centre Party question Sinuhe Wallinheimo of the Coalition Party if the gambling market’s implementation was delayed as a result of election politicking.

The delay aligns the introduction with the upcoming election, which is set to take place in 2027 and could lead to the country’s gambling bill being a topic of political conjecture during the build up.

“Representative Wallinheimo, was this finally a matter of the fact that the postponement of the Gambling Act was a purely political consideration on the part of the Coalition Party?” stated Kettunen.

“Was it a matter of political consideration? Namely, nowhere has it been mentioned that the gambling reform could come into force as the government originally proposed, i.e. at the beginning of 2027.

“In other words, was this a matter of some kind of election politicking, that the Coalition Party did not want this advertising rally to start on 1 January 2027, because the parliamentary elections will be held on 18 April 2027?”

Kettunen queried that the Coalition Party is worried that its election advertising would be impacted by the incoming advertising from the gambling sector following the licensed market’s launch and thus wanted its implementation delayed until after the elections.

“This advertising rally will only start a couple of months after the parliamentary elections. What was the Coalition Party worried about in this matter?

“Was it that the Coalition Party would not receive its election advertisements, when so many advertisements from gaming companies are appearing in the newspapers? Or was it that there was a bit of concern that if these disadvantages start to occur, what kind of impact will this have on the election result of the National Coalition Party?”

Agency responsibilities

Wallinheimo hit back and emphasised that the delay was due to there not being enough staff ready to meet the demands of the Licensing and Supervision Agency’s responsibilities as regulator of the commercially licensed market, in addition to the fact that the agency itself is still in its infancy.

Wallinheimo stated: “The permits for the first year, 2026, are indeed taken in by the National Police Board, and from the beginning of 2027 this would have then gone under the supervision of the licensing and supervision authorities. Such an organisation, Representative Kettunen, does not exist.

“We have no information about what type of people will be working there in the future, and on the same day they would have been given this huge task. It is simply not possible. That is why, first of all, since the Licensing and Supervision Authority does not exist, we are now wondering whether there are perhaps such people in the police administration who could transfer there, but even there are only a handful of people.

“The Licensing and Supervision Authority needs dozens of people to carry out this supervision. Such an organisation, Representative Kettunen, does not exist before 2027. That is why it made sense to take a six-month break here, so that people can genuinely get to work there and they know what they are supervising, after which they can then do their job properly.”

Stakeholders interested in the Finnish gambling market will be hopeful that the matter of the gambling agency can be resolved quickly, although it is clear now that a delay to its implementation is on the horizon.

A draft proposal has been submitted to the Sejm of Poland to add new “games incentives and virtual goods” as new criteria governed by the Gambling Act 2009.

Endorsed by the Poland 2050 MPs, the mandate specifically targets loot boxes to be recognised and classified as gambling criteria, with Poland developing unique safeguards for consumers of all ages.

Should Poland recognise loot box as gambling, the proposals will apply significant changes to the Gambling Act to bring clarity to legal criteria, provisions, consumer protections and licensing of games.

The changes state that “creators of games with loot box mechanics will need to obtain special permission and introduce age verification to ensure in-game purchases are compliant.”

No manipulation or random elements

Ministers backing the proposal seek to ensure Polish children play in safe and fair environments, protected from developing gaming or pathological disorders.

“The introduction of new definitions for games of chance, including games for virtual goods, will make it possible to classify new types of games not previously covered by the Gambling Act,” the draft explains.

“Loot boxes appearing in computer games, purchased by users for money, will be recognised as containing random elements for which players cannot foresee the outcome or value of the reward.”

In its justification, the document highlights the vulnerability of young audiences to manipulative design features:

“Young people constitute a significant part of computer game audiences and are more susceptible to impulsive behaviour and the risk of developing addiction. Mechanisms promoting the purchase of loot boxes may encourage compulsive habits of a gambling nature.”

Notably, Poland 2050 MPs have called on the Ministry of Finance to design specific licensing standards for game publishers. The proposal states that:

“Creators of games with loot box mechanics will be required to obtain special permission and implement age-verification systems to ensure that in-game purchases comply with statutory requirements.”

Tax and licensing

It further recommends that the Ministry consider taxation measures for loot box revenues, noting that “the regulation should define the fee for obtaining and maintaining a licence, taking into account the supplementary nature of such activities in relation to the main game.”

A key consideration within the draft concerns loot boxes and in-game purchases made with virtual (internal) currency accumulated through gameplay. The text clarifies that “where the internal currency may be obtained, exchanged, or monetised, such transactions should be treated as equivalent to financial stakes under the Gambling Act.”

If implemented, the reform would formally add “games for virtual goods” to Poland’s catalogue of gambling products, granting licences valid for two years and obliging operators to disclose the randomness of rewards, enforce age restrictions, and maintain responsible gaming procedures.

The Sejm has been urged to advance the proposal, with public consultations scheduled to begin on 4 January 2026.

Should the measure pass, Poland would become the third EU nation to classify loot boxes as gambling, following Belgium and the Netherlands. Yet the depth of Poland’s draft addressing taxation, licensing, and in-game transactions makes it one of the most comprehensive European approaches to date.

The reforms could establish Poland as a test case for balancing innovation in gaming with responsible gambling regulation, setting a new benchmark in Europe’s evolving debate over how digital economies continue to blur the line between play and chance.

Justyna Grusza-Głębicka

Local View

Speaking to iGaming Expert, Polish legal expert Justyna Grusza-Głębicka described loot boxes as one of the most complex regulatory questions facing lawmakers.

“One of the hot topic in 2025 was loot boxes. Are they gambling or not? The answer remains unclear,” she said. “Legislators have discussed the issue and referenced examples from Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium, yet no hard regulatory measures have been adopted. Meanwhile, the gaming industry continues to use randomised reward mechanics which — from both psychological and regulatory perspectives — function much like a casino. The most vulnerable users are children.”

Grusza-Głębicka noted that Poland’s new proposal could “bring long-awaited clarity” to a grey area that continues to divide gaming and gambling regulators across Europe, however come 2026 “video games developers should be prepared for change”

Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Gambling Authority of the Netherlands, has enhanced its stance on the technical and data-quality standards of operators’ Control Databases (CDBs) of Dutch gambling.

The CDB is recognised as the principal data monitoring system that enables the KSA to oversee all licensed online gambling activity in real time.

Under the Remote Gambling Act (KOA), every permit holder must record game data in a near-real-time environment, stored in a separate CDB that the KSA and other authorities can directly access. The database is designed to guarantee that gambling in the Netherlands is conducted in a responsible, reliable and verifiable manner.

CDB orders
Operators are obliged to maintain a CDB that is continuously available, accurately configured, and promptly updated following any operational or technical change. Licensees must prevent disruptions, notify the KSA of any planned maintenance or infrastructure renewal, and ensure that any modification to game offerings, systems or data mapping is immediately reflected in the CDB.

The database must also be kept compliant with the latest technical specifications and data-model updates, the most recent being version 1.11, which came into force in December 2024 in line with the Responsible Gaming Policy 2024. Any failure to implement or maintain these updates constitutes a breach of Dutch regulations and can result in enforcement action or licence review.

KSA warns of shortcomings
In its latest inspection round, the KSA carried out a CDB data-quality review in July 2025, identifying several shortcomings among licensed operators. A follow-up audit in October confirmed that all providers had since corrected these issues, leading to measurable improvements in the accuracy and reliability of submitted data.

The regulator noted that most licence holders had made “significant progress” in aligning with the new standards, though “a few providers” still required additional attention. The KSA stressed that any detected errors must be rectified immediately — and that historical data must also be updated and improved to ensure continuous traceability.

CDB drives 2026 changes
The KSA warning arrives as the Netherlands prepares for further regulatory decisions by the incoming government changes, as the Remote Gambling Act (KOA) is due to be overhauled in 2026.

The CDB infrastructure will play a key role in that review — particularly in areas related to licence renewal, responsible-gaming interactions and customer-risk monitoring.

Reaffirming its stance, the KSA stated that robust, verifiable data remains the “foundation of effective supervision” and a prerequisite for operators seeking to maintain good standing in the Dutch market.

As the regulator’s technology and data teams continue to expand, control databases are likely to become the next frontier in the Netherlands’ shift toward a stricter, data-driven regulatory model.

A new motion introduced to the Senate Budget Committee has reopened discussion over the governance and taxation of slot machines across Italy’s provinces and municipalities.

Submitted by Senator Claudio Lotito of Forza Italia during debates on the 2026 Budget Law, the proposal calls for a pilot taxation scheme of slot machines (AWPs) — a move that could reshape how Italy taxes and regulates one of largest gambling verticals.

The motion is submitted as a “consideration for the Budget 2026”, as lawmakers reassess how the land-based sector aligns with the wider gambling reorganisation that is currently being undertaken by the Meloni government.

Lotito proposes that tax rates be linked to player expenditure rather than gross revenue, with the aim of rebalancing the slot sector’s fiscal model and restoring competitiveness against both other regulated products and the illegal market, which continues to divert play away from licensed venues.

The plan also includes measures to strengthen player protection. Slot machines would be required to deliver a minimum 70% payout ratio, while the maximum prize limit would increase from €100 to €200.

Additional provisions introduce stricter responsible-play requirements, including technical safeguards to prevent underage access and limits on session duration, reinforced by on-screen warning messages – in-line with approved measures of the government reorganisation decree.

Lotito’s proposal replaces an earlier withdrawn amendment but lands at a critical moment for the sector. According to Budget Bill projections, slot wagers have declined from €24 billion in 2018 to an estimated €15.4 billion in 2026, while the tax rate has risen from 19.1% to 24% — a combination that has cost the state roughly €900 million in lost fiscal yield.

The initiative sits within the broader 2026 restructuring of Italy’s land-based gambling system, overseen by the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM). From January 2026, all slot and VLT authorisations will become fully digital, with QR-code labels replacing paper documentation under the agency’s traceability reforms.

The ADM confirmed that the digitisation trial had been completed “without reports of critical issues” and that penalties will apply for machines found without legible or intact QR codes.

Looking ahead, the Meloni government will proceed with phase two of Italy’s gambling reorganisation in 2026, modernising laws and compliance for land-based gaming venues and suppliers.

Key reforms will centre on the creation of a Unified Concession Model — a single national framework for retail gaming — introducing standard operating rules across provinces and municipalities, enhancing digital traceability, and strengthening player protection.

The ADM is also preparing to launch public tenders for new retail gaming concessions in late 2026, covering both betting shops and gaming halls, as part of the state’s long-term plan to secure fiscal stability and ensure full compliance with EU procurement standards.

Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Gambling Authority of the Netherlands, has agreed to fund the establishment of an Early Detection of Gambling Harm Partnership (SVSG).

Announced this morning as a principal project of the regulator, the KSA confirmed it will allocate €2m from the Addiction Prevention Fund to build a nationwide framework for earlier identification of gambling harm and faster access to support services.

The SVSG brings together four core organisations at the centre of Dutch public health and social care: the Trimbos Institute, the Dutch Association of Addiction Specialists (VKN), the Municipal Health Service (GGD GHOR Netherlands) and the Dutch Debt Assistance Route (NSR).

The regulator’s collaboration with Trimbos and the national addiction-care network is longstanding. Both groups previously supported the KSA in the development of its gambling addiction action plan, including the creation of treatment pathways, research guidelines and the customer-care training standards that licensed operators must meet to detect early signs of harm.

The new partnership will extend this work into the broader social domain, ensuring that municipalities, addiction services, debt advisers and peer-support groups can respond earlier and more consistently.

KSA underlined that the programme addresses a persistent national concern: gambling harm in the Netherlands is often identified too late. An estimated 209,000 people are at high risk of addiction, yet only a small proportion seeks treatment. Shame, financial stress and uncertainty about available support continue to deter people from accessing help until problems escalate.

By establishing the SVSG, the regulator aims to introduce an integrated early-detection model across healthcare, social services and local government—similar in structure to the 2019 national partnership for alcohol harm (SVA), which has shown the value of coordinated early-intervention strategies.

The SVSG will guide municipalities on embedding early-detection practices into local policy, facilitate nationwide knowledge exchange and ensure that training programmes, e-learning modules and clinical guidelines evolve with new evidence.

A pilot phase will launch in early 2026 across five municipalities, where local core teams, VKN regional officers and NSR project leaders will work together to identify and refer gambling problems at an earlier stage. Existing educational materials will be assessed and expanded where needed.

A broader training effort will also target frontline workers across the social domain, as well as students entering relevant professions, equipping them to recognise early indicators of gambling harm and confidently refer individuals to support. A national online environment will serve as a central hub for best-practice sharing.

From 2027, the model will scale to at least 15 municipalities, forming a consistent nationwide approach.The KSA stressed that the creation of the SVSG and the execution of its multi-year programme will not be disrupted by any political changes linked to the new Dutch government taking shape in 2026. The partnership is anchored in the national addiction-prevention framework and will continue irrespective of shifts in legislative priorities.

KSA chairman Michel Groothuizen welcomed the initiative, stating: “Many organisations have been working hard for years to reduce gambling harm, but often in isolation. With this partnership, we permanently bring together knowledge, healthcare, debt counselling and local partners. This makes it easier to find help, and players can get the support they need more quickly. This is an important step towards better consumer protection.”