Veikkaus lands former Kindred exec Reimblad as sports betting VP

Finland’s Veikkaus has appointed Andreas Reimblad, formerly director of sportsbook at Kindred Group, as its new vice-president of sports betting.

Veikkaus confirmed the news in a LinkedIn post and Reimblad begins his new role today (5 July). He joins having only left Kindred last month following 12 years with the business.

Reimblad spent three and a half years as director of sportsbook at Kindred. Prior to this, he held a number of development roles for the vertical. Reimblad also had a short spell at IGT as product manager for betting and bingo, sandwiched by another stint at Kindred in the Unibet days.

“I’m excited to be part of Veikkaus’ journey,” Reimblad said. “The opportunity that Veikkaus may have to enter the global stage fits well with my experience of operating in several markets. 

“I’m eager to contribute my knowledge to this exciting journey. Veikkaus has a respected reputation in the industry among both operators and suppliers. So, the timing of my transition feels perfect.”

Reimblad will bring “excellent international expertise in betting business, operation, development and continuous improvement of the player experience” to Veikkaus, executive vice-president of sports betting and online gaming Jarkko Nordlund said. 

‘It’s great to have an international professional to strengthen Veikkaus’ business.”

Veikkaus prepares for life without monopoly in Finland

The appointment comes after the Finnish government this week published a draft proposal to re-regulate gambling in Finland. This sets out plans to open up the country’s online market and end the current monopoly.

This week’s draft bill sets out how the market will launch, with the government aiming to complete a consultation on this by mid-August. After this, it will submit a final draft bill for parliamentary approval in the spring session of 2025.

Should this get the green light, operators will be able to start applying for licences from Q1 of 2026. 

Veikkaus will continue to hold its monopoly over sports betting and online casino until Q4 of 2026. After this, it will be split into two entities. One business will run a monopoly for lottery and land-based gaming while the other will compete in the online market.