Articles

In 2027, Finland will take a historic step by opening its gambling market to international operators. The current monopoly will end, and a license-based system will be introduced creating a transparent, regulated market for fair competition in gaming, online betting and gambling.

Kärkimedia is Finland’s largest media network, uniting 32 biggest regional newspapers. Our titles are among the most trusted and widely read in the country, reaching over 3.8 million Finns every week across both print and digital channels.

In Finland, print media holds a uniquely strong position unlike anywhere else in Europe or globally. A remarkably high share of Finns read printed newspapers regularly, creating a trusted environment that makes print an especially effective marketing channel, particularly in regulated sectors like gambling and sports betting.

And best of all: with Kärkimedia, you get everything through a single point of contact making nationwide media buying easy, efficient, and transparent.

Automatically multichannel solutions

Most of Kärkimedia’s newspapers deliver campaigns automatically as multichannel solutions that combine both print and digital visibility.  This multichannel model provides broad visibility, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness without the need for multiple media partners or extra coordination.

Whether your campaign is regional or nationwide, the reach is seamless, and the execution is managed through a single point of contact. For gaming and gambling brands, this means more time to focus on strategy and results and less time spent on operational complexity.

Self-Service Media Planning and Buying Tool – Full Control and Transparency

To further streamline the process, Kärkimedia offers a self-service media buying tool. With this platform, advertisers can:

• Calculate pricing and budgets
• Book and purchase media space directly across Kärkimedia’s network
• Plan campaigns independently

Why Kärkimedia is the Right Partner for Gaming and Betting Brands

As Finland opens up to international gambling and online betting operators, competition for consumer attention will be intense. Kärkimedia gives you the tools, scale, and credibility to stand out:

• Credibility & Trust
  Our newspapers are seen as the most reliable sources of information. Advertising here adds immediate legitimacy to your brand.
• Massive Reach, One Buy
  From cities to rural areas, print to digital, Kärkimedia covers the entire country efficiently.
• Automatic Multichannel Delivery
• Most of Kärkimedia’s newspapers automatically deliver campaigns as  multichannel solutions that combine both print and digital visibility. This dual-channel approach ensures broader impact without the need for extra coordination.
• Local Market Expertise
  We know Finnish consumers. We help tailor your message to engage them, build trust, and drive action.
• Full Transparency and Control
  Our self-service tool gives you the autonomy to plan, price, and purchase on your terms.
• Self-service media buying tool

It gives advertisers full control and transparency—enabling them to plan, price, and purchase campaigns independently across the network.

Early Visibility Brings Long-Term Advantage

When the licensing system goes live, the brands that perform best will be those that built awareness and credibility in advance. Starting now gives you a clear first-mover advantage in Finland’s newly liberalized gaming and online betting market.

Whether your plan is a high-impact launch or a long-term brand strategy, Kärkimedia gives you a powerful head start.

Let’s Talk

Kärkimedia helps international gaming, gambling and online betting brands succeed in Finland’s evolving market. Whether you’re entering for the first time or expanding your presence, our media network delivers exceptional visibility, credibility, and reach.

We would be happy to discuss and co-create a comprehensive and impactful campaign with you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out!

📞 Juuso Liljeroos, CEO
📧 juuso.liljeroos@karkimedia.fi
📱 +358 40 123 4567

The “Who Tells the Story of Finland?” breakfast event organized by Kärkimedia and Suomalainen Työ on May 21, 2025, discussed the significance of domestic media.
The panel discussion reflected on how journalism maintains trust in an era where technology, algorithms, and global competition shape the media and marketing landscape.

The discussion was hosted by the CEO of Suomalainen Työ ry, Katri Viippola.

The panelists were:

Erja Yläjärvi, Helsingin Sanomat, editor-in-chief

Anna Salo, Dentsu Finland, CEO

Ville Blåfield, journalist and communication expert, program director of the Helsinki Book Fair

Juuso Liljeroos, Kärkimedia Oy, CEO.

Who tells the story of Finland? – The panel discussion opened a conversation about the media’s responsibility and impact

Truth or Fiction? Trust as the Foundation of Media

The discussion started lightly with the panelists’ morning news selections, but quickly shifted to more serious themes.

Viippola raised a concern that in the age of social media and artificial intelligence, the concept of truth has become increasingly difficult to define. “If social media defines what is true and what is not, we have quite a significant trust issue at hand,” she stated.

Anna Salo complemented the thought from a marketer’s perspective: “Marketers want to be where people are; in the future, reliable media will still be needed even though marketers have also taken on roles as media houses.”

Do we need good news?

The discussion also raised the question of the need for positive news. Ville Blåfield was skeptical about “good news” newsletters and emphasized that the role of journalism is to tell the world as it is.

“As a reader, I don’t crave for journalists to gather good news. The role of journalists is to tell the world as it is,” journalist Ville Blåfield said.

Erja Yläjärvi from Helsingin Sanomat saw it differently: “News avoidance is increasing, and especially young adults are looking for alternatives to this negativity-focused news stream. Therefore, it is important to highlight good news, and these are stories that would appear in Helsingin Sanomat anyway.”

Localness keeps the community together

Blåfield raised concerns about the position of local media and referred to the United States, where the emergence of “news deserts” has led to the polarization of societal discourse.

“It is infinitely important that small media outlets survive. It is not enough to have one or two national media brands.”

Kärkimedia’s Juuso Liljeroos highlighted the importance of the vitality of local media from the advertiser’s perspective: “Kärkimedia’s reach comes from those small, local newspapers. And that community context is also important for the advertiser.”

Quality and Trust – Domestic Media is a Strategic Choice

One strong message from the discussion was that the future of media and marketing is built on quality and trust. Domestic news media provides a safe, impactful, and socially significant environment where the advertiser’s message also receives a value-based context.

As Katri Viippola summarized in the end: “Our task is to ensure that domestic media has a future.”

In March, we asked a few additional questions about social media to the readers of Kärkimedia magazines (1048 respondents). The views are very similar to those in the previously conducted Domestic Media study (6208 respondents).

The attitude towards social media is contradictory

The domestic media study (9/2024) found that social media channels are used quite actively among respondents (85% weekly), more than the average in the population. 31% use social media as a news source daily, and according to the latest survey, a third of respondents consider social media an important news source for themselves. However, only a small group of respondents (13%) feels they stay updated on important news by following only social media. An essential part of media literacy is understanding that social media algorithms often show a narrow slice of the news stream. The overall picture remains unclear.

Concern about fake news and the reliability of information

In a domestic media study, 86% of respondents are also concerned about the spread of fake news on social media. Two out of three respondents are troubled if all information on social media is not completely true, even though the content is primarily considered entertainment. Domestic media is trusted; it creates a sense of security and acts in favor of democracy. The press is perceived to have a significant impact on societal discussion. In the domestic media study, 59% of respondents feel that newspaper articles fairly represent a variety of people and perspectives. 37% felt that the content of newspapers strongly influences their worldview.

The Impact of Social Media is Thought-Provoking

In the latest survey, 83% of respondents find it concerning how much social media sources influence people’s thinking. There has been surprisingly little public discussion about this. Regarding the youth, there has been a wake-up call based on research findings about the many negative effects that excessive use of smart devices, and particularly the aggressive algorithms of social media, have on young people’s mental health and learning outcomes. Social media itself and its role have changed from what it used to be. Users have become more passive, and less original content is being produced. The content and structures of the platforms are increasingly addictive, and social media operators have massive amounts of information about their users, at a very detailed level.

Advertising euros are increasingly directed to international platforms

According to the latest survey, 74% of respondents find it concerning that power in social media is concentrated in a few large media companies. Through skillfully constructed platforms and algorithmic systems, these companies have more power over us than we might realize. The financial impact is also significant. For example, last year, 483 million euros were spent on social media and search engine advertising from Finnish advertising investments. In practice, this money, 37% of all media investments in Finland, goes to these few international giant companies.

The newspaper is considered the most useful source of election advertising in almost all age groups

However, in the youngest age groups, both women and men find social media to be the most useful. Social media campaigning is considered the most beneficial among women aged 35-54, while the role of social media is significantly smaller among men of the same age. For women under 55, the usefulness of other websites is also emphasized. Although women under 55 read newspapers, voting decisions may be made at the last minute based on the social media news feed.

This is noteworthy especially because, although people are generally concerned about the increase of fake news and other social media side effects, they may not know how to critically engage with advertising and communication directed specifically at them. For middle-aged women, the question arises as to how aware they are of the effects of social media on their decision-making in social issues. Newspapers provide a significant fact-based counterbalance to social media discussions and the information built upon them. Election advertising also benefits from the credibility of the newspaper’s media environment. Although reading newspapers is quite regular, 21% of those responding to the election survey report reading newspapers even more carefully and actively during the elections. There is a clear need for reliable information.

According to Kärkimedia’s election study, the party affiliation of women aged 35–54 is the least stable: 53 percent of them choose a party based on the situation or candidate. Although most women in this age group intend to vote in the municipal elections, as many as 42 percent have not yet decided on a party or candidate. In regional elections, women under 55 have the highest proportion compared to other groups of those who have not made a final decision.

Voting decisions are made late: 71 percent of women aged 35–54 report that they will decide on their candidate only a few days before the election (the average for all respondents is 63 percent). The survey was answered by newspaper readers, and their voting intention is clearly higher than what population-level voting rates indicate. The proportion of non-voters among newspaper readers is therefore relatively small.

Among women under 55, the reasons for not voting are often fundamental. The following reasons are emphasized in both regional and municipal elections:

“Do the busy years of raising children affect the lives of women under 55 so much that there is neither interest nor time to engage in municipal and regional politics? It is concerning that while their knowledge of local issues and decision-making is weak, the social media they consider their most useful campaign communication channel operates purely on the terms of algorithms”, reflects Marja-Leena Harju, Insight Strategist at Kärkimedia.

Source: Kärkimedia election study 2025 (n=4 743)

Summer is full of opportunities for marketers!

In the summer, Finns spend a lot of time with newspapers. Three out of four readers spend at least as much time on newspapers as they do at other times, and reading on a tablet or mobile phone is becoming more common.

Newspaper advertising is particularly effective in the summer. In leading media outlets, the attention value of advertisements rises to an average of 72 percent. Additionally, as many as one-third of readers follow multiple newspapers, including the local newspaper of their vacation area.

In the summer, Finns are more spontaneous and active – they also attend events more than in other seasons. Additionally, 57% of newspaper readers spend more money in the summer, making this season particularly favorable for advertisers.

Summer Benefits 2025

The offer applies to the announcement rounds published from June 23 to August 10, 2025.

Print -50%

Display -50%

Growth Benefit -20%

If you advertise more than during the summer benefit period in 2024, we will grant -20% growth benefit in addition to the customer discount.

The summer benefit does not apply to digital magazines, supplements, native advertising, or previously made reservations. The benefit cannot be combined with other benefits and/or discounts. A subscriber discount of -15% can be deducted from the price.

Contact our sales team, we will advise you on how to effectively reach your target audience this summer!