Veikkaus receives €2.9m fine and marketing ban after “wrongly placed” gambling ads
Finnish operator reprimanded by the country’s Police Board after ads that could be of interest to minors were placed during TV programme breaks
Veikkaus has been fined €2.9m (£2.4m) by Finland’s Police Board, in addition to receiving a three-month marketing ban, for wrongly placing a TV advert which could have been viewed by children.
The operator confirmed that the marketing ban dates from 12 November and will last for three months, with its validity kicking in 30 days after notification.
The sanctions come following a “wrongly placed” gambling ad, as described by Veikkaus and attributed to “human error”, which was aired back in July 2024.
The offending ad was placed during the commercial break of an undisclosed TV programme, which the operator said came under the umbrella of being “aimed at adults, but may also be of interest to minors”.
The Finnish monopoly firm used the example of popular Saturday night entertainment shows as the type of programmes that could fall under the above definition.
According to the firm, its advertising is usually purchased in such a way that it targets people aged 25 and over.
Veikkaus’ media office books the ad space and the television channel places its ads based on viewer profiles, a process which has been reviewed by the country’s Police Board.
The police first sent a clarification request to Veikkaus to verify the operator’s advertising procedures back in May.
The operator has noted the matter “brings out new perspectives” on gambling advertising within Finland.
Veikkaus’ sales and marketing director, Anu Kytö, said: “It seems the Police Board may interpret the matter in a new and broader way.
“We have been in contact with the Police Board as soon as the decision was made and we are going through this issue with them. We need clarity so that we know how to act correctly.
“We are very sorry that, despite our joint development measures, our advertising has been seen in the advertising breaks of programmes aimed at minors due to human error.”
MTV’s commercial director Sauli Asikainen added: “Veikkaus has been buying TV advertising from us for years, with an age distribution set for the purchase: more than 70% of the programmes’ viewers must be adults.
“This is a jointly agreed model that has been valid for years and is known to the authorities. Now we are waiting for possible new instructions.”
Veikkaus’ fine and marketing ban comes as Finland prepares to shift away from its current monopoly model and open the market up to competition by early 2026.