114 players and officials breached betting rules in Finnish floorball, investigation finds

• SUEK investigation reveals 114 players and officials placed over 1,000 bets on Finnish floorball between 2021-2025, breaking competition rules
• Ten individuals responsible for 80% of violations, with largest case involving 184 bets worth €8,600, including wagers against own teams
• Two suspected insider information cases examined involving Finland-Norway World Cup match and F-League semi-final, though no match-fixing found

The Finnish Sports Ethics Centre (SUEK) has completed its investigation into widespread betting violations within Finnish floorball, revealing that 114 players and club officials breached betting rules by placing over 1,000 wagers on domestic competitions between 2021 and 2025.

The investigation report has been submitted to the Finnish Floorball Federation’s disciplinary committee for further action. Ten individuals in various roles as players, sports directors, managers, assistant coaches and support staff were responsible for approximately 80% of all violations. The betting activity included wagers on their own teams’ matches, including bets against their own sides.

Individual cases reveal scale of violations

The most serious case involved one person placing 184 separate bets totalling over €8,600. SUEK also identified evidence suggesting one F-League player used both his own betting account and that of a close associate for significant wagering, though the organisation’s investigative powers were insufficient to fully examine this case.

“The large number of people who placed bets and the large number of bets placed indicate that the illegal activities have been extensive and long-lasting,” said Jouko Ikonen, SUEK’s head of investigation.

World Cup match triggers insider information concerns

SUEK examined two specific matches where insider information may have influenced betting patterns. The Finland-Norway World Cup semi-final on 13 December 2024 showed unusual betting activity before team lineups were officially submitted to tournament organisers.

World Cup regulations require lineup submissions one hour before matches, meaning team composition should only be known to national team personnel beforehand. Veikkaus detected abnormal betting behaviour during the competition and reminded team representatives about betting regulations, after which no further suspicious activity occurred.

F-League semi-final reveals communication gaps

The second case involved the Classic-SPV F-League semi-final on 15 April 2025, where Classic faced significant lineup difficulties due to illness. The club sent a members-only press release before the official lineup announcement, informing supporters about the team’s composition problems.

SUEK concluded this early disclosure represented “human error” rather than deliberate insider information sharing for betting purposes. The investigation found no evidence that insider information was distributed with the intent of gaining betting advantages.

No match-fixing found but regulatory reforms needed

Despite the scale of violations, SUEK found no evidence of match manipulation, meaning police involvement is not required. The investigation has, however, exposed ambiguities in insider information regulations, which the Finnish Olympic Committee will address as part of broader sports discipline reforms.

The Finnish Floorball Federation will determine sanctions for F-League violations, whilst the International Floorball Federation may handle the World Cup case. The completed investigation represents one of the most extensive sports integrity cases in SUEK’s history, highlighting systemic compliance issues within Finnish floorball.