The update directly addresses legislative amendments to Finland's Lotteries Act and Gambling Act specifically governing scratch cards, which are instant lottery tickets.
Low confidence — requires human review. While consumer protection measures are mentioned, the update focuses on lottery regulation rather than general online gambling frameworks.
Topic
The update describes proposed amendments to Finland's gambling legislation to modify product eligibility and gifting rules for scratch cards, which constitutes a change to ongoing licence conditions and regulatory framework for gambling operators.
The legislative amendments include age verification and customer registration requirements for scratch card purchases and winnings claims, which are KYC-related identity verification obligations.
Keywords
säädösvalmistelu (p1428),valmistelu (yso p13853),poliisitoimi (p9808),rahapelit (p373),toimialat (yso p1427),pelit (yso p6062),hankkeet (p363),ministry of the interior,sm005:00/2026,press release,poimi pääuutiseksi
2026-04-22 09:26:29·apintea@vixio.com
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TITLE: Finland's Ministry of the Interior Launches Legislative Project to Enable Scratch Cards as Gifts
BODY:
On April 21, 2026, Finland's Ministry of the Interior established a legislative project to prepare amendments to the Lotteries Act and the Gambling Act to enable scratch cards to be given as gifts. The project will run until December 31, 2026.
Scratch cards were brought under mandatory identification requirements at the beginning of 2024. Following this change, only the buyer of a scratch card could claim any winnings, preventing the purchase of scratch cards as gifts. The legislative project aims to amend this restriction while maintaining consumer protections.
Under the proposed amendments, the buyer of a scratch card would continue to be required to be a registered customer of Veikkaus Oy, and identification would be required when purchasing a card. However, any winnings in a scratch card could be claimed by a person other than the buyer, and registration would not be required for claiming winnings. Both the purchase of a scratch card and the claiming of any winnings would require the person concerned to have reached 18 years of age to prevent gambling by minors. A more detailed implementation method will be assessed during the legislative project.
The legislative project was initiated following a feasibility study completed by the Ministry of the Interior in January 2026. The study examined existing legislation, the prevalence of playing scratch cards, and alternative models for legislative amendments and their impacts. The study concluded that enabling instant money lottery tickets to be given as gifts would require amendments to both the Lotteries Act and the Gambling Act.
The Government proposal is scheduled to be submitted to Parliament during the autumn session of 2026.
Legislative project launched to enable scratch cards to be given as gifts - Ministry of the Interior Skip to content Government and ministries yja-ministry-language-navigation.choose-language English Valitse kieli: This page is in Finnish. Go to the English site » Or choose language: Den här sidan är på finska. Gå till den svenska versionen av sidan » Eller välj språk: Dát siidu lea suomagillii Sirdás davvisámegielat siidduide » Dehe vállje giela: Taat sijđo lii suomâkielân Sirduu anarâškielâlijd sijđoid » Tâi valjii kielâ: Tät seidd lij lääʹddǩiõʹlle Sirddu lääʹddǩiõllsaž seiddõʹsse » Leʹbe vaʹlljed ǩiõl: Язык этого сайта финский. Перейти на русскоязычный сайт » Или выберите язык: Cette page est en finnois. Aller sur le site en français » Ou choisir la langue: Diese Seite ist auf Finnisch. Wechseln Sie zur deutschen Version » Oder wählen Sie Ihre Sprache: Tämä sivu on englanniksi. Siirry suomenkieliseen sivustoon » Tai valitse kieli: Choose language: Den här sidan är på engelska. Gå till den svenska versionen av sidan » Eller välj språk: Dát siidu lea eŋgelasgillii Sirdás davvisámegielat siidduide » Dehe vállje giela: Taat sijđo lii eŋgâlâskielân Sirduu anarâškielâlijd sijđoid » Tâi valjii kielâ: Tät seidd lij eŋgglõsǩiõʹlle Sirddu lääʹddǩiõllsaž seiddõʹsse » Leʹbe vaʹlljed ǩiõl: Язык этого сайта английский. Перейти на русскоязычный сайт » Или выберите язык: Cette page est en anglais. Aller sur le site en français » Ou choisir la langue: Diese Seite ist auf Englisch. Wechseln Sie zur deutschen Version » Oder wählen Sie Ihre Sprache: Tämä sivu on ruotsiksi. Siirry suomenkieliseen sivustoon » Tai valitse kieli: This page is in Swedish. Go to the English site » Or choose language: Välj språk: Dát siidu lea ruoŧagillii Sirdás davvisámegielat siidduide » Dehe vállje giela: Taat sijđo lii ruotâkielân Sirduu anarâškielâlijd sijđoid » Tâi valjii kielâ: Tät seidd lij ruõccǩiõʹlle Sirddu lääʹddǩiõllsaž seiddõʹsse » Leʹbe vaʹlljed ǩiõl: Язык этого сайта шведский. Перейти на русскоязычный сайт » Или выберите язык: Cette page est en suédois. Aller sur le site en français » Ou choisir la langue: Diese Seite ist auf Schwedisch. Wechseln Sie zur deutschen Version » Oder wählen Sie Ihre Sprache: Tämä sivu on pohjois-saameksi. Siirry suomenkieliseen sivustoon » Tai valitse kieli: This page is in North Saami. Go to the English site » Or choose language: Den här sidan är på nordsamiska. Gå till den svenska versionen av sidan » Eller välj språk: Vállje giela: Taat sijđo lii tavesämikielân Sirduu anarâškielâlijd sijđoid » Tâi valjii kielâ: Tät seidd lij tâʹvvsääʹmǩiõʹlle Sirddu lääʹddǩiõllsaž seiddõʹsse » Leʹbe vaʹlljed ǩiõl: Язык этого сайта северосаамский. Перейти на русскоязычный сайт » Или выберите язык: Cette page est en same du Nord. Aller sur le site en français » Ou choisir la langue: Diese Seite ist auf Nordsamisch. Wechseln Sie zur deutschen Version » Oder wählen Sie Ihre Sprache: Tämä sivu on inarinsaameksi. Siirry suomenkieliseen sivustoon » Tai valitse kieli: This page is in Inari Sámi. Go to the English site » Or choose language: Den här sidan är på enaresamiska. Gå till den svenska versionen av sidan » Eller välj språk: Dát siidu lea anárašgillii Sirdás davvisámegielat siidduide » Dehe vállje giela: Valjii kielâ: Tät seidd lij aanarsääʹmǩiõʹlle Sirddu lääʹddǩiõllsaž seiddõʹsse » Leʹbe vaʹlljed ǩiõl: Язык этого сайта инари-саамский. Перейти на русскоязычный сайт » Или выберите язык: Cette page est en sami inari. Aller sur le site en français » Ou choisir la langue: Diese Seite ist auf Inari Sámi. Wechseln Sie zur deutschen Version » Oder wählen Sie Ihre Sprache: Tämä sivu on koltansaameksi. Siirry suomenkieliseen sivustoon » Tai valitse kieli: This page is in Skolt Sámi. Go to the English site » Or choose language: Den här sidan är på skoltsamiska. Gå till den svenska versionen av sidan » Eller välj språk: Dát siidu lea nuortalašgillii Sirdás davvisámegielat siidduide » Dehe vállje giela: Taat sijđo lii nuorttâlâškielân Sirduu anarâškielâlijd sijđoid » Tâi valjii kielâ: Vaʹlljed ǩiõl: Язык этого сайта скольт-саамский. Перейти на русскоязычный сайт » Или выберите язык: Cette page est en sámi skolt. Aller sur le site en français » Ou choisir la langue: Diese Seite ist auf Skolt Sámi. Wechseln Sie zur deutschen Version » Oder wählen Sie Ihre Sprache: Tämä sivu on venäjäksi. Siirry suomenkieliseen sivustoon » Tai valitse kieli: This page is in Russian. Go to the English site » Or choose language: Den här sidan är på ryska. Gå till den svenska versionen av sidan » Eller välj språk: Dát siidu lea ruoššagillii Sirdás davvisámegielat siidduide » Dehe vállje giela: Taat sijđo lii ruošâkielân Sirduu anarâškielâlijd sijđoid » Tâi valjii kielâ: Tät seidd lij ruõššǩiõʹlle Sirddu lääʹddǩiõllsaž seiddõʹsse » Leʹbe vaʹlljed ǩiõl: выберите язык: Cette page est en russe. Aller sur le site en français » Ou choisir la langue: Diese Seite ist auf Russisch. Wechseln Sie zur deutschen Version » Oder wählen Sie Ihre Sprache: Tämä sivu on ranskaksi. Siirry suomenkieliseen sivustoon » Tai valitse kieli: This page is in French. Go to the English site » Or choose language: Den här sidan är på franska. Gå till den svenska versionen av sidan » Eller välj språk: Dát siidu lea fránskkagillii Sirdás davvisámegielat siidduide » Dehe vállje giela: Taat sijđo lii ranskakielân Sirduu anarâškielâlijd sijđoid » Tâi valjii kielâ: Tät seidd lij fraansk-ǩiõʹlle Sirddu lääʹddǩiõllsaž seiddõʹsse » Leʹbe vaʹlljed ǩiõl: Язык этого сайта французский. Перейти на русскоязычный сайт » Или выберите язык: Choisir la langue: Diese Seite ist auf Französisch. Wechseln Sie zur deutschen Version » Oder wählen Sie Ihre Sprache: Tämä sivu on saksaksi. Siirry suomenkieliseen sivustoon » Tai valitse kieli: This page is in German. Go to the English site » Or choose language: Den här sidan är på tyska. Gå till den svenska versionen av sidan » Eller välj språk: Dát siidu lea duiskkagillii Sirdás davvisámegielat siidduide » Dehe vállje giela: Taat sijđo lii saksakielân Sirduu anarâškielâlijd sijđoid » Tâi valjii kielâ: Tät seidd lij saksslaǩiõʹlle Sirddu lääʹddǩiõllsaž seiddõʹsse » Leʹbe vaʹlljed ǩiõl: Язык этого сайта немецкий. Перейти на русскоязычный сайт » Или выберите язык: Cette page est en allemand. Aller sur le site en français » Ou choisir la langue: Wählen Sie Ihre Sprache: Valitse kieli Suomi Välj språket Svenska Select language English Media Legislative project launched to enable scratch cards to be given as gifts Ministry of the Interior Publication date 21.4.2026 10.08 Type: Press release The Ministry of the Interior has set up a legislative project to prepare amendments to the Lotteries Act and the Gambling Act concerning the claiming of winnings, with the aim of making it possible to give scratch cards as gifts. The project will run until 31 December 2026. Scratch cards were brought under mandatory identification requirements at the beginning of 2024. Following this change, it has no longer been possible for anyone other than the buyer to claim any winnings in a scratch card. This change also prevented the purchase of scratch cards as gifts. Within the project now being launched, the legislation will be amended so that the buyer of a scratch card would continue to be required to be a registered customer of Veikkaus Oy and identification would be required when buying a card. However, any winnings in a scratch card could also be claimed by a person other than the buyer, and registration would not be required for claiming the winnings. The purchase of a scratch card and the claiming of any winnings would, however, always require the person concerned to have reached the age of 18 years in order to prevent gambling by minors. A more detailed implementation method will be assessed in the course of the legislative project. The Government proposal is scheduled to be submitted to Parliament during the autumn session of 2026. Feasibility study provides a comprehensive description of the current state The Administration Committee of Parliament discussed the giving of scratch cards as gifts in its memorandum concerning the reform of the gambling system. In connection with passing the new Gambling Act, Parliament required that the Government examine the possibilities to enable giving scratch cards as gifts without delay and launch any necessary legislative measures. In January, the Ministry of the Interior set up a project to draw up a feasibility study on the matter. The study has now been completed, and it concludes that enabling instant money lottery tickets to be given as gifts would require amendments to the Lotteries Act and the Gambling Act. Among other things, the feasibility study examines the existing legislation and the prevalence of playing scratch cards as well as sets out alternative models for legislative amendments and assesses their impacts. Inquiries : Katriina Laitinen , Director of Legislative Affairs, tel. +358 295 488 559 Jukka Tukia , Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 488 573 The email addresses of the Ministry of the Interior are in the format [email protected] . Feasibility study on claiming winnings in instant money lotteries (in Finnish) department of law enforcement gambling games preparation of legislation projects Hidden