With its decisions issued on 31 January 2022, the National Police Board prohibited Curaçao-based Nordic Tech Services N.V. and Viking Technology N.V. from providing gambling services. The prohibitions apply to the marketing and sale of gambling services targeted at Finland by telephone. The National Police Board imposed conditional fines of EUR 25,000 to reinforce the prohibitions. The lotteries have been marketed and sold by telephone in Finland at least under the product names of 365Lotto and 121Lotto.
The National Police Board prohibited the illegal provision of gambling services because the companies did not stop their activities despite official notifications. The prohibitions will remain in force for 12 months from 5 May 2022. The National Police Board will enforce the conditional fines if the companies continue to provide the gambling services prohibited based on the decisions.
- The control measures were taken after the National Police Board was notified of lotteries marketed by telephone. Fixed-term monthly charged gambling service subscriptions were marketed by telephone to consumers in Finnish. According to consumers it has been difficult to revoke the agreements. According to consumers it has been difficult to revoke the agreements. The activities have now been prohibited after they were continued despite the National Police Board’s notifications,” says Seela Saraniva, senior adviser at the National Police Board’s Gambling Administration.
The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (FCCA) and the Consumer Ombudsman have also been contacted regarding this matter. The National Police Board issued a release on 30 March 2021 with the Consumer Ombudsman. The release is available (in Finnish) at https://poliisi.fi/-/kuluttajia-varoitetaan-laittomasta-rahapelien-puhelinmarkkinoinnista.
Sales and marketing of gambling services in Finland
Gambling and gambling services are activities regulated by the Lotteries Act in Finland. Only Veikkaus Oy has the right to market and provide gambling services in Mainland Finland.
According to the Lotteries Act, no other operator can provide gambling services in Mainland Finland. From 2023, payments made by gamblers to companies with a marketing prohibition will be prevented.
The National Police Board oversees compliance with the Lotteries Act, and one of its duties is to ensure the legal protection of participants in legal gambling services. In any problems, the National Police Board cannot, however, help individual consumers who have used the gambling services of illegal operators.
Legal gambling services are not marketed by telephone in Mainland Finland, as Veikkaus, the holder of exclusive rights, does not carry out telemarketing.
