Veikkaus strengthens financial support for Finnish football

Each agreement will run for three years, with Veikkaus to support the Veikkausliiga, its clubs and all teams under the SPL umbrella, as well as Finland’s futsal clubs and Finnish Cup competitions. 

These arrangements will include Veikkaus providing financial backing for Finnish clubs and teams.

The deals will also enable Veikkaus customers to access a range of benefits, competitions and content related to the Finnish national team, with content to appear on the operator’s social media channels.

“We are really pleased the long joint history of Veikkaus and domestic football continues and deepens.” Veikkaus chief executive Olli Sarekoski said. “Our cooperation plays an important role in enabling our customers to access the best betting products, services and content on the market. 

“The sport plays an important role, and it is great that the agreements cover Finnish football so widely.”

SPL chairman Ari Lahti added: “Veikkaus is a significant and long-term partner in domestic football. Together, we felt it was really important to strengthen and expand the cooperation so that it would bring even stronger financial benefits to the clubs.”

The deals come after Veikkaus last month reported a 12.7% year-on-year decline in revenue to €1.10bn (£916.2m/$1.19bn) for its 2021 financial year. The revenue fall came as the monopoly’s market share fell by 5% to 74%, meaning the unlicensed market made up the other 26%.