According to the Police Board, the company’s gambling marketing in Finland is long-lasting and multi-channel.
The Police Board has banned the Maltese gambling company BML Group from marketing its gambling games in Finland. To strengthen the ban, the police administration has imposed a fine of 2.4 million euros on the company.
BML Group is a subsidiary of Swedish Bateson.
In its announcement, the Police Board criticizes the gambling company for the fact that its marketing to Finland has been long-running and multi-channel. According to officials, after the intervention of the police board, the company has made some changes in its marketing, but despite this the advertisement continues without any hindrance.
It is about illegal marketing, because in mainland Finland, gambling games can only be offered and marketed by state-owned veikaus.
Measures taken by the company in the past to reduce marketing are taken into account as a mitigating factor when the police board assesses the size of the threatened fine.
The ban applies to all content that promotes the sale of gambling games in mainland Finland on BML Group’s gambling websites.
According to the police board, the gambling company cannot publish new advertising targeting mainland Finland on its own gambling websites and must remove previously published “promotional material” as well as marketing through other websites. Have to avoid
For example, the Police Board forbids the company from using Finnish public figures as gambling advertising faces “in a manner that is attractive to consumers”. Prohibited marketing materials include, for example, podcasts, articles and other “marketing expressions” aimed at mainland Finland that appeal to consumers, intended to directly or indirectly promote the sale of gambling games.
The ban also includes marketing on behalf of the BML Group on websites owned and managed by other than the company.
The decision of the police board will come into effect from June 3. Until then, the gambling company can appeal the decision.
