Veikkaus Signs Deal with Viaplay for First Overseas Consumer Venture

Finland's state-owned gambling operator Veikkaus is preparing a new consumer brand called Viabet. The announcement was made on Thursday, and the step means the company will carry out direct B2C betting activity outside Finland for the first time.

Viabet will launch on 1 July 2027 in both Finland and Denmark. The launch will happen at the same time thanks to the commercial partnership with Viaplay Denmark and Viaplay Finland.

Veikkaus's presence abroad has so far been carried out through Fennica Gaming, a B2B subsidiary established in 2022. Fennica Gaming exports Finnish gaming technology and services to customers in 21 countries. Veikkaus CEO Olli Sarekoski described Viabet as "an important strategic step."

According to Sarekoski, the partnership will make it possible to develop a differentiated offer and strengthen competitiveness in open markets. Veikkaus will combine its technology, customer experience and responsible gaming approach with Viaplay's sports content and market presence in Scandinavia. The company will also make use of selected Viaplay media content and will use sports data and analytics to enrich Viaplay's sports broadcasts.

Viaplay Denmark CEO Lars Bo Jeppesen stressed that responsible gaming is at the centre of the plan. Viaplay Finland CEO Mikael Svensson said that the existing sports production cooperation between the two companies could develop into a commercial agreement with Viabet.