Across Europe, strict gambling marketing rules seek to ensure that such advertisements are not viewed by children. While regulations vary from one country to the other, in general, gambling ads cannot target anyone under the age of 18 years old.

Due to one recent breach by the Finnish gambling operator, Veikkaus, a fine was implemented after its advertisements were allegedly wrongfully placed within programming that is also watched by minors.

Monetary Penalty Along with a Temporary Marketing Ban

On Monday, the operator acknowledged that it was approached by the country’s Police Board with a request for clarification. The request dated May 2024 and probed advertising by the operator on TV programs that are also watched by children.

Now, Veikkaus revealed that it received a marketing ban due to “wrongly placed” gambling ads. Per an announcement by the operator, the marketing ban is applicable for three months and it is valid within 30 days after notification.

Besides the gambling marketing ban, Veikkaus was also impacted by a fine. As a result, the Finnish operator received a €2.9 million ($3.66 million) monetary penalty. Both the fine and the marketing ban are the direct result of the uncovered violations.

Still, Veikkaus confirmed that it collaborated with the Police Board throughout the investigation. This collaboration helped the operator adjust its advertising and ensure that its ads will no longer reach minors through programming that may pose interest to them.

New Instructions About Gambling Ads May Be Released

Sauli Asikainen, MTV’s commercial director, explained that Veikkaus engaged in TV advertising purchases for years from the media. In the words of the executive, the operator was required to purchase more than 70% of ad time for programming aimed at adults. “This is a jointly agreed model that has been valid for years and is known to the authorities. Now we are waiting for possible new instructions,” added Asikainen.

“It seems that the Police Board may interpret the matter in a new and broader way.“

Anu Kytö, a representative of Veikkaus

Anu Kytö, Veikkaus’ representative, acknowledged that there may have been a change in the way the rules about gambling marketing are interpreted. “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,” the representative added. Finally, Kytö confirmed that Veikkaus intends to clarify these potential broader interpretations of the rules so that it can ensure its compliance.