Finland’s Ministry of the Interior has launched a legislative project aimed at allowing scratch cards to be given as gifts again, after mandatory identification rules introduced in 2024 prevented anyone other than the purchaser from redeeming winnings.
The project, which will run until 31 December 2026, will prepare amendments to both the Lotteries Act and the Gambling Act.
Under the model outlined by the ministry, the buyer would still need to be a registered Veikkaus Oy customer and identification would still be required at the point of purchase.
However, the person claiming any winnings would no longer have to be the original buyer and would not need to be registered.
The ministry said the age limit would remain in place for both purchase and prize redemption, meaning all parties involved would need to be at least 18. It added that the detailed implementation method will be assessed during the legislative process.
The issue has become part of Finland’s broader overhaul of its gambling framework. Scratch cards were brought under mandatory identification at the beginning of 2024 as part of tighter controls on gambling activity.
While the measure strengthened traceability and age verification, it also ended a long-standing practice in which scratch cards could be bought as gifts and redeemed by the recipient.
According to the ministry, Parliament’s Administration Committee raised the matter during discussions on gambling reform and called on the Government to examine options for restoring gifting without weakening player protection measures.
A feasibility study completed this month found that legislative amendments would be required to make that possible.
The move comes as Finland continues preparing for wider market reform ahead of the new Gambling Act, which is due to take effect from July 2027. That transition will shift the country away from its current monopoly-based system in several segments while introducing a new licensing structure and regulatory framework.
In that context, the scratch card project reflects how Finnish policymakers are trying to balance consumer practice with tighter safeguards on identification, age controls and prize claims.
In January, the Ministry of the Interior opened a preliminary study into whether scratch cards could legally be given as gifts after Parliament called for a review of the issue following the gambling reform process. That earlier stage focused on whether the existing framework could be adjusted through amendments to the Lotteries Act or Gambling Act.
The Government proposal tied to the project is scheduled to be submitted to Parliament during Finland’s autumn 2026 session
