Veikkaus has extended its betting sponsorship of the Finnish Football Association (Palloliitto) until 2030, as it continues to build on support of local sport.
Finland’s state-owned lottery operator will continue to partner top Finnish football leagues including Veikkausliiga men’s division and Kansallisen Liiga women’s division, as well as the men’s and women’s national football teams.
Marco Casagrande, Secretary General of the Finnish Football Association, praised Veikkaus for its knowledge of “the roots of Finnishness”, having shown their will to be involved in developing the future of Finnish football and futsal long term.
He added: “The game is developing and changing, but at its core are still excitement, joy, disappointment and communal experiences.”
The deal will also allow for the operator – which is currently preparing for the increasingly likely dissolution of its monopoly over betting in Finland – to continue to offer several betting markets on Finnish football.
This includes its Vakio 1, Pitkävedossa, Live-vedossa, Tulosvedossa, Monivedossa and Voittajavedoissa games.
“The agreement with the Football Association of Finland is very important and meaningful to us,” added Veikkaus CEO, Olli Sarekoski.
“Veikkaus and Finnish football share a long history, and that continues,” he said. “Finnish football is on the rise, and together with the Football Association, we can offer Finns powerful emotions and memorable experiences.
“We are excited about the coming years. Our cooperation will deepen further through this new partnership.”
Despite the differences
In Finland, the relationship between football and betting remains deeply rooted – most prominently shown in the name of the national league – Veikkausliiga. The country’s top football division took its title from its main sponsor, Veikkaus, back in 1990.
Several Finnish football clubs have also secured sponsorship deals with various other gambling companies over the years. However, with regulatory changes looming, the future of these partnerships remains uncertain.
Facing competition for the first time
The news comes as legislators look to open the country’s gambling sector to new operators and dismantle Veikkaus’ monopoly on the market following the proposal of the Finnish Gambling Act, likely in either 2026 or 2027.
Therefore, the operator – despite having been vocal in calling for market reform in Finland as a way to better fight the black market – has been focusing on strengthening its offering ahead of rivals.
Veikkaus recently partnered with OpenBet for the launch of its new sports betting platform, with the B2B firm having committed to targeting partnerships with state-backed lottery groups like Veikkaus as it enters a new era of governance.
In addition, Veikkaus also recently appointed Jyri Lassi as General Counsel this month, having identified its new appointee’s international technology sector experience as ‘particularly useful’.