Casino Link Building in Finland: What Licensed Operators Need to Know

Casino link building in Finland is changing completely when the licensed market opens on 1 July 2027. The new Gambling Act limits gambling marketing to a short list of channels, and affiliate marketing isn’t one of them. Paid casino articles on blogs and general websites, the standard link building method in many markets, are likely to fall outside what the Act allows. Licensed operators can still earn strong Finnish links, but through news coverage, sponsorships, trade media and their own content.

This post explains what the rules mean for link building, which link sources remain open, and how to plan a campaign that holds up to both the Gambling Act and Google.

Why is casino link building different in Finland?

Casino link building is different in Finland because the Gambling Act controls not only whether operators can market, but where.

Licensed operators may start their operations and marketing on 1 July 2027. From then on, only licence holders who lawfully offer gambling in mainland Finland may market, and only games that are lawfully offered.

The Act also controls who produces the marketing. Marketing should be carried out or produced by the licence holder itself, and if another party disseminates it, there must always be a contract between that party and the licence holder.

Marketing must also follow general consumer law. Gambling marketing has to comply with the Consumer Protection Act, which means it must be clearly identifiable as commercial communication.

The rules reach beyond operators. Facilitating non-compliant gambling advertising, including marketing from unlicensed operators aimed at Finnish consumers, is itself a regulated activity subject to enforcement. Publishers and agencies that place casino content therefore carry risk too, not only the operators they place it for.

Does the Gambling Act cover link building?

The Gambling Act doesn’t mention link building directly, but most paid link building for casinos is also marketing, and marketing is tightly controlled.

The permitted channels

Section 51 of the Act lists where licensed operators may market. Those channels are the operator’s own websites and non-interactive social media, TV and radio, sports and public events, print and equivalent digital publications, point-of-sale locations, and search engines for directly related search terms. Outdoor advertising is also permitted, but not near schools, pharmacies, healthcare units or substance abuse facilities.

A general blog, a niche website or a link network isn’t on that list. A paid article promoting a casino on such a site is therefore likely to fall outside the permitted channels, whatever its SEO value.

Affiliate marketing is out

Affiliate marketing is effectively banned. It’s implicitly prohibited, because it was left out of the permitted channels in Section 51. The Government Bill had proposed an explicit ban on affiliate marketing that directs online traffic to gambling websites, justified by the risk that it could lead to abuses in the information given to players and blur the line between licence holders and illegal operators.

That matters for link building, because a large share of casino links in most markets come from affiliate and review sites. Eversheds Sutherland notes that such sites are often presented as informational, while their actual primary purpose is to direct users to operators’ websites through identifiable links or codes. For more on this, see our planned guide to Finnish gambling marketing rules for affiliates.

What every piece of gambling marketing must include

If content counts as marketing, it has to meet the Act’s content rules. Every ad must include the age limit, responsible gambling information, and a reference to the operator’s licence and supervisory authority. Free game offers and most bonus promotions are also banned in advertising.

A sponsored article promoting a casino would therefore need all of these elements, even if it ran in a permitted channel.

Which link building options remain open for licensed operators?

Licensed operators still have several ways to earn Finnish links. Most of them rely on being newsworthy or visible, not on paying for placement.

Earned news coverage

Independent news coverage is the strongest option. Finnish media will cover licence decisions, market entries, company news and data about the new market. A journalist’s own article about your company isn’t your marketing, and links from Finnish news sites are among the most valuable a site can get. See digital PR in Finland for how to earn that coverage.

Advertising on newspaper websites

Paid advertising on news media is a permitted channel. Eversheds lists newspapers, magazines, newspaper websites and other editorial online media among the channels where marketing will be allowed. Advertising there must still be labelled as advertising, include the required gambling information, and use rel=”sponsored” on any links. Because these placements are paid, they bring visibility and traffic rather than ranking value.

Sponsorships

Sponsorship is one of the most useful link sources left. The Act allows athletes, sports federations and clubs to cooperate commercially with gambling companies, and examples include the sponsor appearing on the sponsored party’s clothing, social media and websites. A sponsored club’s partner page is a natural, relevant link.

Sponsorships have limits. They are allowed without direct promotion of gambling and must avoid placements that target under-18s. Sponsorship agreements involving minors or their events are prohibited.

Trade media and corporate content

B2B and trade media covering the Finnish reform link to the operators they write about. Operators can also publish content that earns links on its own merit: market research, responsible gambling data, careers pages and company news. This kind of content often gets links from sites that would never link to a casino lobby.

Search ads on brand terms

Search ads aren’t links, but they’re one of the few permitted digital channels. Operators can advertise in search engines for directly related search terms. Brand search ads and organic rankings support each other, as covered in our pillar on iGaming SEO in Finland.

How do Google’s rules affect casino link building?

Google’s rules add a second layer, and they apply everywhere, not only in Finland.

Paid links must be tagged. Google treats paid links that pass ranking credit as link spam, as explained in our guide to paid links, Google’s rules and Finnish advertising labelling.

Casino content on unrelated sites is also a specific target. Google’s site reputation abuse policy covers third-party pages published on a site to take advantage of the host site’s ranking signals. One of Google’s own examples is a medical site hosting a “best casinos” page that has nothing to do with its main purpose. In November 2024, Google made clear that first-party oversight doesn’t make such third-party content acceptable.

For casino operators, that means links from casino pages placed on unrelated Finnish sites are both a Gambling Act risk and a Google risk.

Which link building methods fit the new rules?

The methods that fit the new rules are the ones where the operator is covered, sponsored or cited, not promoted through paid placements on third-party sites.

When you evaluate any site, the usual quality checks still apply; see how to evaluate a Finnish website.

How should operators plan a compliant link building campaign?

Start with a legal review, then build links through content, coverage and sponsorships.

The legal review comes first because the rules are new and some points are still open to interpretation. Operators also have to show in their licence application that their marketing policies, approval workflows and monitoring plans meet the statutory standards. Link building should be part of those policies from the start, not added later.

Content quality matters as much as in any other market. Finnish journalists and trade media only link to content written in natural Finnish; see Finnish content localisation.

What are the most common casino link building mistakes in Finland?

The most common mistake is running a link building model from another market that Finnish law doesn’t allow.

1. Buying casino articles on Finnish blogs as in other markets. They’re likely outside the permitted channels.
2. Relying on affiliate and review sites for links. Affiliate marketing isn’t permitted.
3. Placing “best casinos” content on unrelated sites. Google treats it as site reputation abuse.
4. Forgetting the content rules. Any marketing content must include the age limit, responsible gambling information and a licence reference.
5. Using sponsorships aimed at young audiences. Sponsorships involving minors are prohibited.
6. Leaving paid links untagged. Google’s rules apply regardless of Finnish law.
7. Starting too late. Earned links and coverage take months. Operators who start in July 2027 will be behind.

Is Finland stricter than other Nordic markets?

Finland is among the stricter markets in Europe on gambling marketing. Advertising is largely reserved for traditional media and sports sponsorships, and industry commentators have warned this could undermine the reform’s goals, because those channels are much less targeted than social media and affiliates. The framework is restrictive but not a total ban: there is room for TV, radio, digital, outdoor and event-based activity if campaigns are built correctly. For how Finland compares with its neighbours in general, see Nordic link building.

How SEO Butler works with gambling operators in Finland

SEO Butler Limited, which runs backlinksfinland.com, has worked in the Finnish market for six years. For operators preparing for July 2027, we focus on technical SEO, native Finnish content, and digital PR that earns coverage without promoting gambling on third-party sites. For the wider picture of link building in Finland, see our main guide, or contact SEO Butler about your plans.

Disclaimer: This post is general information for businesses about link building and the Finnish gambling market. It isn’t legal advice, and the rules may change as the supervisory authority issues guidance. Operators should get advice from a Finnish lawyer before planning any marketing or link building. Gambling is only for people aged 18 or over. If gambling is causing problems for you or someone close to you, contact Peluuri, Finland’s free and confidential gambling helpline, on 0800 100 101. Paid links must follow Google’s spam policies. backlinksfinland.com is owned by SEO-Butler Limited.

Frequently asked questions

Can casino operators buy backlinks in Finland?

Paid casino articles on blogs and general websites are likely to fall outside the marketing channels the Gambling Act permits from July 2027. Paid advertising on newspaper websites and other editorial online media is a permitted channel, but it must meet the Act’s content rules and carry rel=”sponsored” on links. Get legal advice before running any paid link activity.

Is affiliate marketing allowed in Finland?

No. Affiliate marketing isn’t among the permitted marketing channels in Section 51 of the Gambling Act, so it’s effectively prohibited for licensed operators.

Can a sponsorship give a casino operator a backlink?

Yes. The Act allows sponsorship of athletes, clubs and federations, and the sponsor can appear on the sponsored party’s website and social media. The sponsorship must not target under-18s or directly promote gambling products.

What must gambling marketing in Finland include?

Every ad must include the age limit, responsible gambling information and a reference to the operator’s licence and supervisory authority. Free game offers and most bonus promotions are banned in advertising.

When can licensed operators start marketing in Finland?

Licensed operators can start their operations and marketing on 1 July 2027. Licence applications have been accepted since 1 March 2026.