Veikkaus Temporarily Suspends Bets on Elite Men’s Floorball Amid Match-Fixing Investigations
Finnish betting operator Veikkaus has recently decided to suspend wagering on elite men’s floorball. This move follows the revelation of significant betting irregularities within the sport earlier this year.
The operator, which holds a monopoly in Finland’s gambling landscape, announced that it will refrain from processing any floorball bets until the Finnish Centre for Sports Ethics (SUEK) concludes its investigation into allegations of match-fixing. This includes the top-tier F-Liiga, which kicked off its new season this week, as well as Finnish Cup and international matches.
Mikko Lahti, Veikkaus’ security and risk management chief, stated that the organization would reevaluate the situation post-investigation. The investigation aims to wrap up its findings this month, but those facing sanctions will have "several weeks" to respond to any conclusions reached.
Concerns Raised by Veikkaus
Veikkaus had already taken precautionary measures by halting betting on floorball events at the recent World Games held in Chengdu, China. This action stemmed from the discovery of suspicious betting activities related to a December match involving Finland’s national team and an F-Liiga playoff game.
In instances involving large wagers, Veikkaus reported concerns that inside information might have been exploited for betting purposes. As a result, the operator alerted both the league and SUEK regarding its findings.
Investigation Findings
SUEK’s inquiry so far has not identified any criminal conduct. Instead, violations of sports regulations have been established, according to Teemu Japisson, the secretary-general of SUEK.
Initially, it was anticipated that around a dozen individuals might be implicated. However, investigations have unveiled a larger scope of violations affecting roughly 100 individuals, including players, coaches, and staff across every F-Liiga team, stretching as far back as the 2021-22 season.
Reports indicating about 75% of the clear betting violations have been submitted to the Finnish Floorball Federation (SSBL). Despite the serious nature of these findings, most of the infractions involved low betting amounts, and nearly all offenders have acknowledged their violations.
In addition to the ongoing investigations, Veikkaus has reported a decline in revenue and net profit during the first half of 2025. This downturn follows significant investments aimed at preparing for the anticipated liberalization of Finland’s iGaming sector. For the first half of 2025, sales revenue totaled €466.4 million ($548.4 million), a slight drop of 3.6% compared to the same period in 2024.
As the investigation unfolds, the integrity of Finnish floorball hangs in the balance, raising questions about the potential need for tighter regulations and oversight in the sport.