According to a survey conducted in April 2026, Finns are fairly aware of the upcoming gambling reform and have clear views on the regulation of the industry as well as sports funding. About 80% of men and 54% of women have heard of the gambling reform, which is set to take effect on July 1, 2027.
Slightly more than half of citizens consider sponsorship by gambling companies to be the best way to support Finnish sports, and the majority would favor a model in the new system where tax revenue from the sector is earmarked directly for sports.
Based on a survey of a sample of 1,000 Finns aged 18–65, the study mapped citizens’ attitudes regarding the upcoming gambling system reform, sports funding, and the fight against illegal gambling.
Sponsorship or earmarked revenues for sports are to the respondents' liking
51.2% of respondents consider sponsorship provided by gambling companies to be the best way to fund Finnish sports clubs and organizations. Only 19.1% support public funds as the main source of sports funding.
If gambling revenues decline as a result of the reform, Finns hope for a new type of solution offered as an alternative in the survey. 38.1 percent of respondents believe that the best way to secure funding for sports would be a model in which a portion of all gambling revenues and taxes is earmarked specifically for sports.
Nearly one-third would revert to the old model
The second funding model option in the survey was a return to the previous model, in which Veikkaus’s revenues were directed directly to sports. This is supported by 29 percent of respondents. 23.5 percent of respondents answered “I don’t know” to the question regarding the funding model, and 9.4 percent believe that some other model would be best.
Finns do not see a great need to restrict the visibility of sponsorship. Nearly half (48.1%) of respondents believe that there should be no restrictions on the visibility of gambling companies’ logos or graphics if they sponsor sports. Just under a third (29.7%) support restrictions.
The survey was commissioned by Turtlebet - https://www.turtlebet.com/fi - in collaboration with the research firm Bilendi in April 2026. The survey was conducted by interviewing 1,000 people who represented a nationally representative sample of Finns aged 18–65. Of the respondents, 49.0% were women, 50.5% were men, and 0.5% identified as non-binary.