According to a press release issued by the National Police Board of Finland, BML Group Ltd., a subsidiary of Betsson, has been issued with a prohibition order and a conditional fine of €2.4 million for unlicensed marketing in the Finnish market.
The release notes that an investigation revealed that Betsson, through BML, had been actively targeting Mainland Finland with ads for its online gambling products and services. During the investigation, the company was presented with several opportunities to change its marketing in order to comply with local gambling advertising restrictions. However, despite making some slight changes, the targeting of Finnish consumers persisted throughout.
These changes were taken into account by the National Police Board when determining the size of the financial penalty. The board also ordered the company to cease any direct or indirect marketing efforts to entice Finnish consumers to gamble through its websites. This includes a ban on the use of any Finnish celebrities in ads or using website content, podcasts, or video podcasts that target Finland as a means to advertise Betsson’s gambling products and services.
This ban also applies to any websites that are not owned by BML Group such as affiliate marketing websites.
The National Police Board has informed BML that it must remove any content or marketing material that still appears online and that promotes its products. The company will also be added to the list of payment blocks when the prohibition comes into force on the 3rd of June 2023. If, at that point, BML has failed to make the necessary changes as outlined by the board, it must then pay the fine in full.
This is the first time in its history that the National Police Board has issued a prohibition order alongside a conditional fine. It’s also the largest fine of its kind issued by the board.
Gambling industry journalist with a background in online poker and trading. Covering the regulated U.S Sports industry and the exciting world of online poker.