Finnish monopoly operator Veikkaus has this week halted bets on elite men’s floorball in Finland after widespread betting violations in the sport were uncovered in June.
Veikkaus said it will not process any wagers until disciplinary decisions are taken following a match-fixing probe that is being carried out by the Finnish Centre for Sports Ethics (SUEK).
Veilkkaus’ decision includes markets covering the top-tier F-Liiga, which started its new season on Wednesday. Finnish Cup and international games are also blocked, plus some other contests.
Mikko Lahti, director of security and risk management at Veikkaus, said the operator would “reassess the situation” after disciplinary proceedings closed.
SUEK aims to finalise its findings this month before the Finnish Floorball Federation’s (SSBL) Competition and Disciplinary Group hands out punishments. However, sanctioned individuals will be given “several weeks” to respond to the findings, the federation said.
Veikkaus’ suspicions
Veikkaus had already refused to process bets on floorball games at the World Games multi-sport event last month in Chengdu, China. It took the decision after announcing in June that it had uncovered suspicious betting activity in the sport.
Initially, the suspicious activity related to a Finland national team game last December and an F-Liiga game this spring. The national game was Finland versus Norway in the 2024 Men’s World Championship and the domestic contest was the 2024-25 playoff between Classic and SPV.
In both cases, Veikkaus said inside information about the game appeared to have been used in bets. Suspicions were raised due to the unusually large wagers, with Veikkaus flagging up its concerns with the league and the SSBL.
No criminal activity found
Under Veikkaus’ agreement with the F-Liiga, players, coaches and team staff are prohibited from betting on games.
SUEK’s investigation has so far found no evidence yet of criminal activity, Ikonen added.
SUEK secretary general Teemu Japisson added: “The rules of sport have been violated here, according to our investigation, not Finnish law.”
Growing match-fixing scandal
At the outset, it was thought that about a dozen people may have violated the rules. However, the subsequent probe has revealed the true scale of the scandal, which Suek’s head of investigation Jouko Ikonen has described as the worst in the seven-year history of his organisation.
According to SUEK’s investigation, about 100 players, coaches and employees from the F-Liiga have violated betting regulations. Representatives of every team have been implicated, with activities stretching as far back as the 2021-22 season.
Ikonen said reports covering 75% of the “very clear” betting violations have been shared with the SSBL so far.
“In these clear cases, the betting volumes and amounts are generally small, and almost all of the subjects of the investigation have admitted to violations,” Ikonen said.
Earlier this week, Veikkaus reported a year-on-year decline in revenue and net profit during the first half of 2025 after investing “significantly” in preparations for the upcoming liberalisation of the Finnish iGaming market.
Sales revenue in the six months to 30 June 2025 amounted to €466.4 million ($548.4 million) – some 3.6% below H1 of 2024, but in line with expectations.
Veikkaus has halted bets on elite men’s floorball after betting violations in the sport were uncovered by the operator in June.