What is marketing?

In the context of gambling, marketing is defined broadly. It covers all marketing activities that aim to promote demand for the gambling services or otherwise aim to increase the visibility of the provider of the gambling service and affect the image of the provider.

The purpose of marketing is typically the commercial promotion of gambling services or a gambling company in a manner that aims to affect the buying behaviour of consumers and to create an image of the product or seller.

Commercial communications are covered by the constitutional freedom of speech, although not among its core elements. For this reason, marketing can be subjected to more stringent limitations than would otherwise be possible within the core of freedom of speech. 

Marketing includes both advertising in traditional media channels, such as radio advertising, TV advertising, outdoor advertising or direct advertising, and advertising on the internet, via e-mail messages and on the social media. So it is not limited to any specific method, medium or channel of marketing.

Gambling services may also be marketed through indirect advertising. For example, using the logo of the gambling company or a game in advertising a different product may be considered indirect advertising. 

A game’s nickname, image or identifiable background music may also convey images of the game or the gambling company. Using the logo in connection with a different product is considered to be marketing, even if the product and the gambling company or game have no factual connection with each other.

The product names of some gambling products also refer to the common name of the game. These include lotto, keno, poker and many table top games. If the name of the game or type of game is used for other than marketing communications, it does not generally constitute marketing of gambling services.

In addition to regular and indirect advertising, other forms of communication based on the creation of images may be identified as marketing through other sales promotion activities. Marketing may also include:

• distributing promotional items and brochures
• providing price lists and other product information
• publishing a text written in the form of an article
• promotional lotteries
• product brochures and samples
• discounts or benefits directly related to gambling such as bonus offers and free games.