Veikkaus Oy hit with 2.9m euro conditional fine in Finland

Veikkaus Oy, Finland’s gambling monopoly, has got itself into trouble with the company facing an enforcement action that could see it €2.9m, which the gambling operator it may have to pay in the form of a conditional fine, and further restrictions on its ability to issue marketing materials over the coming months.

Veikkaus needs to mend its way to avoid paying a seven-figure fine

In a decision taken on November 12 and published by the National Police Board (NPB) on Tuesday, the Finnish Police Board’s Gambling Administration said that Veikkaus had breached the Finnish Lotteries Act. Specifically, the company was found to be violating rules regarding the market of gambling games to minors on television, a serious offense.

The size of the penalty is not picked by chance either, as authorities insist that the NPB had already warned Veikkaus once in the past, having previously investigated it in May 2024. Upon a follow-up investigation, Veikkaus was found to still be engaging in prohibited marketing practices.

A report provided by Veikkaus itself indicated that the gambling games that were the focus of the investigation had been marketed during TV programs aimed at minors more than 200 times in the period between 2023 and 2024.

All of this, investigators insisted, was part of a broader strategy within the company, which may not have necessarily sought to target those groups. Senior Advisor of the NPB, Laura Rinne, said that most of the marketing targeted at minors happened during weekend mornings and was mostly issued around the time of family movies on Saturdays.

Veikkaus is keen to ensure that it respects the law

"Such activities can be regarded to constitute a particularly condemnable marketing strategy, because the target group comprises minors. Prevention of disadvantages caused by gambling is the key objective of the regulation of gambling in Finland and in its core lies the protection of minors from the disadvantages of gambling," Rinne insisted.

Veikkaus admittedly attempted to mitigate marketing gambling games to minors, and those efforts have been taken into consideration. The NPB clarified that the penalty will only be applied in case Veikkaus fails to stop marketing of its gambling games to minors.

In the meantime, it appears that a three-month marketing ban will apply, preventing the company from publicizing its gambling materials, services, and products during television broadcasts "when the broadcast is aimed at minors or the broadcast is attractive to minor viewers."

Finland is preparing to launch a licensee-based model of its market, which should allow the market to thrive and help it drive stronger results.

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