Finland proposes a gambling hub near Helsinki-Vantaa Airport
City council members in Vantaa have proposed creating a large entertainment and gaming cluster near Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. Finnish media describe the concept as an integrated resort format — a complex combining a casino, hotels, restaurants and infrastructure designed for international visitors.
The news comes amid Finland’s major overhaul of its gambling market. After years of Veikkaus’ monopoly, Finland is set to move to a competitive licensing model from 1 July 2027. That is why Vantaa’s proposal has drawn attention: while the national reform is still in progress, local policymakers are already discussing an ambitious idea — an international gaming and entertainment hub next to the country’s main airport.
What Vantaa is proposing
According to Iltalehti, one of Finland’s largest news outlets, 31 councillors backed the idea of opening a gaming centre at a council meeting. The initiative’s authors are not talking about “just a casino”, but about building a major international entertainment hub in the Aviapolis area. In industry commentary, the project is already being framed as an attempt to create a “Finnish Las Vegas”.
One of the key proponents, Viktor Snellman, has been explicit that he sees the project as a resource that could make Vantaa wealthier and help move the city to a new stage of development.
The phased opening of Finland’s gambling system and the transition to a licensing model open multi-billion-euro opportunities for Vantaa. Although the first stage of competition will affect only the online segment, Vantaa should be at the forefront and offer a competitive environment for high-tech tourism and entertainment. We must take into account the global trend towards integrated resort models, even if current legislation still restricts casino activity.
Viktor Snellman, Vantaa City Council member
Supporters also note that Vantaa’s economy relies heavily on construction and the airport, and that the city needs a sector that is more resilient to economic cycles. In their view, gaming and events tourism could become that alternative. The proposed hub is positioned around four goals:
- improving economic resilience by reducing reliance on construction and airport-driven activity;
- integrating the project into infrastructure by placing it along the new high-speed tram line to increase land-lease and tax revenues;
- developing education and workforce pipelines, including dealer training, to open international career pathways for young people;
- establishing a pilot environment for a safer gambling environment.
Why Aviapolis
The location is as central to the proposal as the idea itself. Aviapolis is one of Vantaa’s main growth engines. According to Business Vantaa, it is Finland’s fastest-growing business district. The area already hosts 1,500+ companies, and by 2030, it is expected to reach 30,000 residents and 50,000 jobs. The media also emphasise that Aviapolis and the airport together account for around 4% of Finland’s GDP. For proponents, that is the core argument: if an international entertainment hub is to be planned anywhere, it should be here.
The transport rationale is also clear. According to Finavia, Helsinki-Vantaa handled nearly 17 million passengers in 2025, and the number of commercial flights exceeded 150,000. In parallel, Vantaa is building the Vantaa Light Rail: a 19.3 km line with 27 stops, a project budgeted at €750 million and expected to launch in 2029. This further reinforces that the hub is intended to integrate into an already expanding international node.
Constraints of the Finnish market
The main tension is that Finland’s reform does not fully open the market. From 1 July 2027, licensed competition will be introduced in sports betting, online slots, online casino and online bingo (licence applications opened on 1 March 2026). But land-based casinos and slot machines are still expected to remain under Veikkaus’ monopoly. Moreover, until the end of June 2027, no other company can offer or promote gambling in Finland. This is why Vantaa’s proposal appears particularly bold: it effectively goes beyond the current reform scope and raises the question of what happens to the land-based segment in the future.
How similar zones work internationally
Vantaa’s concept has clear international analogues. One close comparison is Paradise City in South Korea, located near Incheon International Airport. Paradise City covers around 330,000 square metres and combines entertainment venues, wellness facilities and a casino licensed for foreigners only. In March 2026, it was announced that the resort had opened a Hyatt Regency hotel, increasing Paradise City’s capacity to 1,270 rooms.
Integrated resorts of this scale operate across multiple regions worldwide. Examples include:
- Manila (Philippines), where Entertainment City is a full cluster of such developments;
- Singapore, where Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa follow the same model, even though they are not near the airport;
- Limassol (Cyprus), where City of Dreams Mediterranean positions itself as Europe’s first integrated resort;
- and Athens, where the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Athens is being built on the former Hellinikon airport site as the first resort of this type in mainland Europe.
What the initiative signals to the industry
Even if the project never moves beyond political debate, the development signals a broader shift in Finland’s market trajectory. Until recently, the country’s main industry narrative was the Veikkaus reform and the dismantling of the online monopoly. The discussion is now moving to the next stage: can Finland use gaming and the broader entertainment industry as tools of urban competition to attract international traffic, investment, and tourism spending?
This article was first published in Russian on 30 March 2026.
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