Lottery is a significant part of the Finnish culture. While the games have existed in Finland since the 1940s, the first-ever official Lotto draw was not held until 1971.
Today, a repertoire of more than 10 distinct online and offline lottery games exists in the country and all of them are organized by Veikkaus Oy – the government-owned betting agency that runs a monopoly.
However, the majority of Finland’s lottery games are reserved only for resident players. Only one of them – EuroJackpot, which is internationally recognized, is available for Indian players online.
Before we talk about it, let’s answer this interesting question:
Is Lottery As Popular as Casinos in Finland?
With gambling in Finland being legal and non-profit, all profits generated from any such activity are distributed for the betterment of arts, science, sports, and society. By the same token, winnings from any such activity are tax-free for players.
This is why gambling – whether in the form of lottery or casino games – is popular among the Finnish population. However, lottery and casino games have different popularity and appeal in the country.
While both forms of gambling are enjoyed by many, lottery games tend to have a wider reach and broader participation compared to casino games. This is evident from the fact that an estimated 70% of Finns participate in the national lottery every year!
Finland’s strong tradition of lottery games, which is deeply ingrained in the culture, is a major reason behind such craze. On the other hand, while casino gambling is also popular in Finland, it tends to attract a more niche audience.
The country has several land-based casinos that offer a range of table games and slot machines. Additionally, online casinos have gained popularity in recent years, with tax-free nettikasinot being all the rage.
However, compared to lottery games, the overall participation in casino gambling is relatively lower. Nevertheless, they seem to be gradually attracting widespread interest and participation among the population.
Which Are the Most Popular Lotteries in Finland?
The most popular lotteries in Finland include the following:
- Lotto (Finland’s National Lottery)
- EuroJackpot
- Vikingloto
Lotto (Finland’s National Lottery)
Lotto, also known as the Veikkaus Lotto is the National Lottery of Finland. It is drawn every Saturday at 9:45 PM EET (Sunday, 1:15 AM IST). If the Saturday is a holiday, draws are moved to a Sunday. Participation requires players to be at least 15 years old.
This Finnish Lotto is a 7/40-style raffle game that involves selecting 7 numbers per line out of a pool of 40 (1 to 40). The odds of hitting the jackpot is 1 in 18,643,560. The biggest jackpot to date has been recorded at €15.8 million (approximately ₹140 Crores) in 2022.
To increase your chances of winning, there are additional options available. For an extra €0.50 per line, you can opt for a Plus number, which can multiply any prize (except the jackpot) by 5x.
The Saturday Holidays (Lomatonni) feature priced at €0.50 per line, rewards you with €1,000 if your numbers match the random number. Furthermore, the Saturday Joker (Jokeri) offers an exciting opportunity to win up to €1,000,000 for €2.
An additional Joker’s Double at €1.00 per line doubles your winnings if you can match the last number in your line. There’s also the concept of ‘systems.' By selecting between eight (8) to eighteen (18) extra numbers, you can significantly boost your odds of winning.
It's important to note that this increased potential comes at a higher cost. For instance, System 9 with nine extra numbers will generate 36 rows. The price for this is €36. On the other hand, 18 numbers mean 600 possible winning combinations, which will be priced at €600.
Finland’s National Lottery isn’t available for Indian players at the moment.
EuroJackpot
We have discussed EuroJackpot extensively on our dedicated page and shown you where to buy tickets to this lottery online. This is one of the few lotteries drawn in Finland, which are available for Indians to play online. It is also one of the most popular lotteries in Europe.
As a multinational jackpot game with two weekly draws, EuroJackpot is drawn every Tuesday and Friday. In every draw, 5 main numbers between 1 and 50 and 2 Star (supplementary) numbers between 1 and 12 are drawn. The cost per line is €2. You can play a maximum of 20 lines at a time per draw.
The minimum guaranteed prize pool is €10 million, which is approximately ₹81 Crores. The maximum jackpot can go up to €120 million (around ₹1,008 Crores) in the absence of a winner! Once this limit is reached, the money is distributed among the lower winning categories.
The odds of hitting the jackpot in EuroJackpot is 1 in 139,838,160. Indians can play this lottery either by purchasing an official ticket through an online lottery concierge or by betting on the outcome via a lottery betting site.
PLAY EUROJACKPOTVikingloto
Vikinglotto is yet another multinational lottery game played in Finland and 9 other countries. It was first introduced in 1993 and has since gained a significant following. Draws take place every Wednesday at 7 PM EET (Wednesday, 10:30 PM IST).
The game requires players to select 6 numbers from a pool of 1 to 48, and an additional Viking number from a separate pool of 1 to 8. To win the jackpot, players must match all six regular numbers and the Viking number. The cost of tickets is €1 per line. The odds of hitting the jackpot are 1 in 61,357,560.
Additional options are available to boost your winning potential. For instance, for a nominal fee of €0.50 per line, you have the opportunity to choose a Plus number, akin to the Finnish National Lottery, which can amplify any prize except the jackpot by 5x.
Again, for an additional cost of €0.50 per line, the Wednesday Holidays (Lomatonni) feature presents a prospect of securing a €1,000 reward if your selected numbers match the randomly generated number.
Moreover, the Wednesday Joker (Jokeri) provides a chance to win up to €1,000,000, with an investment of just €2. For an added €1.00 per line, the Joker's Double option allows you to double your winnings by matching the last number of your line.
Additionally, a concept called “systems” offers you the freedom to choose between six (6) and thirteen (13) supplementary numbers, along with one (1) to five (5) additional Viking numbers and increase your odds of winning, albeit additional costs.
Unfortunately, Vikingloto isn’t available for Indian lotto players to play online.
Which Other Lotteries Are Available From Veikkaus Oy?
Apart from what we already mentioned, Finland also has the below lottery games, which are played in the country, none of which are available for Indians.
- Jokeri (Joker)
- Lomatonni (Holiday Luck)
- Veikkaus Keno
- Kaikki tai ei mitään (All or Nothing)
- Synttärit (Birthday)
- Tähdenlento (Shooting Star)
- Kaikki Nettiarvat
- Uutuudet
- Suosituimmat
- Ajanviete
- Pikkurahalla
- Suuret voitot
Of them, Jokeri and Lomatonni are true lottery-style games. However, Veikkaus Keno, as the name suggests, is a Keno-style game, which comes with a jackpot smaller than that in the other popular Finnish lotteries.
Similarly, Kaikki tai ei mitään (All or Nothing) is a daily raffle, Synttärit (Birthday) is a once-a-day betting game, and Tähdenlento (Shooting Star) is a supplementary game associated with the National Lottery, Vikinglotto, and Eurojackpot.
On the other hand, Kaikki Nettiarvat, Uutuudet, Suosituimmat, Ajanviete, Pikkurahalla, and Suuret voitot are all clubbed under the umbrella term ‘nettiarvat,’ which means online lotteries. These games are reserved strictly for lotto players in Finland.
Alternatives to the Finnish Lotto for Indians
If you want to play international lotteries online, why brood over just the lottery games in Finland when most of them are unavailable anyway? Save yourself the heartbreak and explore other renowned world lotteries, including the US Powerball, MegaMillions, Mega-Sena, EuroMilions and more!
With OnlineLottoBaba by your side, unlock invaluable insights for each lottery and play them from India through legit online lottery sites. It's a straightforward process: sign up, select your lucky numbers, and purchase an official ticket or bet on the outcome of the official draw.
