No limit

The purpose of the campaign is to prevent harms from occurring in advance and to increase the effectiveness of gambling supervision and awareness of illegal gambling marketing, especially among young adults. With the help of a social media campaign, the message can be taken to where marketing occurs. Traditional notification by the authorities does not help much in a situation where the message is targeted at young adults who use social media a lot. 

Veikkaus Oy has the exclusive right to provide gambling services in Mainland Finland. Gambling services by other operators are prohibited and punishable under the Criminal Code of Finland. Due to the harms caused by gambling, Veikkaus Oy’s marketing is also subject to a large number of restrictions.

Any kind of promotion of unauthorised gambling services is unlawful.  For example, sharing a publication to Finland from outside the country’s borders does not make the procedure legal. If gambling services are marketed from abroad and the effects of the marketing extend to Finland, it must be assessed whether the purpose of the marketing is to promote the sale of the gambling services being marketed especially in Finland.

Especially online. Marketing through social media influencers has increased over the past few years, but also the advertising banners of various non-gambling websites can contain advertisements, which may also form the main content of affiliate sites appearing as expert websites or appear as paid advertisements in online search results. 

Report the matter to the National Police Board by sending e-mail to arpajaishallinto@poliisi.fi. 

Mintti is a fictional character. Mintti is played by the Helsinki-based actress Iiris Kankkunen. The purpose of the character is to describe marketing by a social media influencer. She is enthusiastic, addresses her followers directly and entices them to play through her own example. Watch Mintti’s videos on Poliisitube, the YouTube channel of the police of Finland.  

Kai Mattila, who also works as Sosped’s experience expert, talks about the difficult problems related to gambling. Kai’s interview video can be found on Poliisitube, the YouTube channel of the police of Finland. 

The marketing of gambling services on social media is basically prohibited. Only Veikkaus Oy may carry out marketing directed at consumers in Mainland Finland, and even then only through its own social media accounts and not through the accounts of social media influencers, for example.  

What can result from illegal gambling marketing?

Prohibiting decision and a conditional fine 

The National Police Board may prohibit illegal gambling marketing and impose a conditional fine to enforce the prohibition. If illegal gambling marketing continues after the prohibiting decision has been issued, the National Police Board or in certain cases the Market Court will order the conditional fine to be paid.

Penalty fee
The National Police Board can impose a penalty fine on an operator who intentionally violates the marketing prohibition laid down in the Lotteries Act. The minimum penalty fee imposed on the gambling operator or trader is EUR 10,000 and maximum EUR 5 million. In the case of a natural person, the minimum penalty fee is EUR 500 and the maximum EUR 40,000.

Payment blocks
The payment blocks will restrict payments from players to such gambling operators that have obtained the National Police Board’s decision to prohibit marketing in violation of the Lotteries Act. Payment service providers have an obligation to block payments as required by the National Police Board. If payments are not blocked in accordance with the payment blocks, the National Police Board may prohibit a payment service provider initiating and implementing payment transactions for gambling services. A conditional fine may be imposed to reinforce the prohibition.

Lottery offence
When suspecting a lottery offence, the National Police Board can submit a request for investigation to the police. A lottery offence is committed, for example, by anyone who sells or purveys lottery tickets for lottery organised by a party other than Veikkaus Oy, or who markets such a lottery in violation of the marketing prohibition provided  by the Lotteries Act. A party guilty of a lottery offence can be sentenced to a fine or to imprisonment for a maximum of two years.        

No. All marketing from outside Mainland Finland is prohibited. For example, the English language itself does not limit marketing being directed at Finland, because English is widely spoken in Finland, and the choice of language therefore cannot be used to circumvent the law’s prohibition to target gambling marketing at Finland.