Some illegal gambling companies try to take advantage of the upcoming summer's joyful atmosphere at Finnish events. The National Police Board aims to do its part in promoting a positive atmosphere by ensuring that uninvited visitors are kept at bay.
The National Police Board has presented a challenge to Finnish event organizers to take part in its campaign Kuokkavieraita nolla ("Zero Gatecrashers") in summer 2018. The campaign seeks to ensure that marketing efforts which violate the Lotteries Act do not occur at events held during summer 2018. The National Police Board has sent a letter concerning the matter to dozens of music, sports and other event organizers.
Illegal marketing efforts in public spaces using billboards and other visual ads are already well under control. In light of experiences in recent years, however, marketing of illegal gambling has taken place at some events. The National Police Board's campaign aims to proactively weed out the phenomenon and to increase the awareness of both event organizers and consumers of the illegal nature of such marketing.
Efficient combating of illegal activity requires active measures. The letter guides event organizers to ensure that event areas are clear of all marketing materials of illegal operators.
The exclusive right to run gambling in Finland (excluding the Province of Åland) is regulated by Section 11 of the Finnish Lotteries Act. Only Veikkaus Oy can also market gambling in Finland subject to the relevant restrictions laid down in the Lotteries Act and the Consumer Protection Act.
Pursuant to the Lotteries Act, marketing of other companies than the monopoly operator is prohibited entirely when it targets Finland and consumers living in Finland. Marketing at events that take place in Finland unequivocally targets Finnish consumers.
Any type of commercial advancement of gambling companies and their gambling games through advertising, indirect advertising and other sales promotion activities is considered marketing of gambling. The concept of marketing is rather broad and encompasses, for example, individual ad posters and products that contain logos of gambling companies.
The National Police Board may prohibit the marketing of gambling services if the marketing is conducted in violation of the Lotteries Act. The National Police Board may also impose a conditional fine to enforce compliance of such prohibition. The prohibition may be targeted at any entrepreneur or operator that has an essential impact on the marketing of gambling services. Thus, it is also the responsibility of the event organizers to ensure that gambling services are not marketed in a manner which violates the Lotteries Act.
During the upcoming summer, the National Police Board will pay particular attention to having zero gatecrashers at the summer events. This means that illegal gambling operators do not market themselves or their gambling games at events. The National Board will follow social media closely from this viewpoint.
The public may send their observations on potential breaches of the Lotteries Act by email to arpajaishallinto@poliisi.fi.
The objectives of the Lotteries Act (1047/2001) include, inter alia, the prevention of misuse and crime related to gambling and the reduction of the negative economic, social and health-related impacts caused by participation in gambling. The powers of the National Police Board in supervision of gambling are defined in Section 42 of the Act.
The running and marketing of gambling services are supervised in order to ensure the legal protection of the lottery participants, to prevent misuse and crime and to reduce negative social and health impacts caused by participation in lotteries. The National Police Board is responsible for the supervision of the running and the marketing of gambling and the compilation of relevant statistics in Finland (excluding the Province of Åland). The National Police Board can issue statements and give guidance on the running and the marketing of gambling. In practice, the supervision task is carried out by the Gambling Administration of the National Police Board.
More general information on the supervision of gambling can be found at www.arpajaishallinto.fi/en.
