The hefty sentence came from the country’s Police Board, which found apparent violations of the established gambling ad standards.
Strict gambling marketing rules apply throughout Europe to ensure that such commercials are not viewed by children. While restrictions differ by region, in general, gambling advertisements cannot target anybody under the age of 18.
Due to a recent breach by the Finnish gambling company Veikkaus, a punishment was imposed after its adverts were reportedly incorrectly placed within programming that is also watched by children.
Monetary Penalty and Temporary Marketing Ban
On Monday, the operator revealed that it had been asked by the country’s Police Board for clarification. The request, dated May 2024, explored the operator’s advertising on TV programs that are also viewed by minors.
Veikkaus has now announced that it received a marketing ban for “wrongly placed” gaming advertisements. According to the operator’s release, the marketing ban will last three months and will take effect 30 days following notification.
In addition to the gambling marketing ban, Veikkaus received a fine. As a result, the Finnish operator faced a €2.9 million ($3.66 million) monetary penalty. Both the penalties and the marketing prohibition are direct results of the discovered infractions.
Nonetheless, Veikkaus affirmed that it worked with the Police Board on the investigation. This collaboration assisted the operator in adjusting its advertising and ensuring that its adverts no longer reach minors via content that may be of interest to them.
See also:
Slovakian conservatives want stricter gambling advertising rules.
New Instructions About Gambling Ads Could Be Released
MTV’s commercial director, Sauli Asikainen, revealed that Veikkaus has been purchasing TV ads from the media for years. The executive stated that the operator was compelled to purchase more than 70% of the ad time for adult-oriented programs. “This is a jointly agreed-upon model that has been in use for years and is well known to the authorities. Asikainen continued, “We are now waiting for possible new instructions.”
“It seems that the Police Board may interpret the matter in a new and broader way.“
Anu Kytö, a representative of Veikkaus
Veikkaus’ spokeswoman, Anu Kytö, agreed that the interpretation of gambling marketing guidelines may have changed. “We have been in contact with the Police Board as soon as the decision was made and we are going through this issue with them,” according to the official. Finally, Kytö affirmed that Veikkaus seeks to clarify any potential larger interpretations of the rules in order to assure compliance.
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