Finland’s online gambling reform is at a crossroads. The Finnish government’s draft Gambling Act rightly targets gambling-related harm reduction, yet, almost as an afterthought, it has proposed outlawing affiliate marketing. That single clause risks undercutting every other objective in the bill.
Affiliate sites are the primary information source for players searching for reputable online gambling sites, and data proves it. Digital gambling is pull-driven – players Google ‘best casino bonus’ or ‘safe betting sites’ and land on specialist sites that answer those queries. As in other industries, consumers expect to be able to make an informed decision by consulting independent experts and reading dedicated reviews of a product or service. In markets where licensing exists, those portals dominate.
According to SEO tool Ahrefs, since licensing in 2019, affiliates in Sweden have sent 96% of non-branded organic traffic to operators. Even pre-reform, affiliates supplied 80% of non-Veikkaus organic traffic in Finland. A textbook example is the Kasinohai site, a Finnish-language hub that breaks down licence rules, RTPs and safer gambling tools in plain Finnish. We analysed the site, and we estimate that it gets anywhere between 50,000 to 60,000 clicks per month. If the affiliate layer is removed, players will still search for comparison sites, but land on offshore brands not bound by Finnish safeguards.
The government’s draft Gambling Act lumps all promotions together, ignoring the gap between mass-reach push ads (TV, stadium hoardings) and targeted pull content created by affiliates. Here are three key points that seem to have been ignored in the current proposal:
- Affiliate marketing engages only users who are actively seeking gambling information
- Affiliate links are contractual and auditable; operators can remove them when compliance slips
- Age-gating and keyword controls mean exposure to minors is markedly lower than on broadcast media
Take Swedish affiliate CasinoWings, it funnels searchers straight to licensed sites, highlights [self-exclusion scheme] Spelpaus tools on every review and has demonstrably helped Sweden significantly increase channelisation without a surge in gambling-harm metrics.
Evidence from the regulators in Sweden and Denmark strongly suggests that channelisation rises when affiliates operate in the online casino ecosystem. Both Nordic neighbours ended their monopolies – Sweden in 2019 and Denmark in 2012 – and permitted affiliate marketing under a code of conduct. The results are higher channelisation and new small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) operators entering the market because performance-based acquisition keeps costs viable, widening consumer choice. There has also been no indication in an affiliate-driven uptick in problem gambling.
If affiliates are banned, Finland will see the opposite: fewer licensees, more offshore traffic and higher acquisition costs that eat into responsible gambling budgets.
A ban will weaken the regulator’s hand and licence value
Removing the most effective ‘signposting’ channel strips away the carrot while leaving few sticks. Finance committee scenarios predict a €45m to €96m annual tax shortfall if bans depress licence uptake. That is money that would otherwise fund harm prevention and responsible gambling programmes.
The framework for the new Gambling Act in Finland has been copied from the existing Lotteries Act, which is outdated and does not meet the standards necessary for the modern gambling industry. As Finland is moving to a new licensing system, Traffic Lab feels that now is the time for a thorough revision of the country’s laws, bringing Finland’s gambling regulations in line with its neighbours’ up-to-date and fair regulatory framework. This requires the input and knowledge of those actively involved in the industry.
A decade of operating under Swedish and Danish rules means we understand how balanced regulation, data-led affiliate traffic and strict compliance can drive channelisation while keeping players safe, informed and empowered.
Affiliate sites such CasinoWings demonstrate how comparison portals can raise literacy, steer players towards licensed brands and build community-level safeguards. Treating affiliates like push advertisers will drive traffic and tax revenue beyond Finnish oversight into a grey market.
A balanced law must harness the reach, data and accountability affiliates already provide, making them an integrated pillar of a safe, high-channelisation gambling ecosystem that benefits players, regulators and operators alike.
Chris Vaughan is a seasoned igaming content specialist at Traffic Lab.
With over 18 years of experience in the online gambling sector, his career includes roles at prominent online casinos including Ladbrokes, Betfred, William Hill, InterCasino and 32Red.
His area of expertise is dissecting complex gaming trends and translating them into insightful, data-driven content.
The post Why affiliates are an integrated pillar of a safer gambling ecosystem first appeared on EGR Intel.
With a ban on affiliate marketing on the table, Traffic Lab content specialist, Chris Vaughan, argues that recognising the pro-consumer role of affiliates is essential to a safe, modern online gambling ecosystem in Finland
The post Why affiliates are an integrated pillar of a safer gambling ecosystem first appeared on EGR Intel.