The National Police Board of Finland has declared an enforcement directive against BML Group on April 7, which disallows the entity from advertising its services in the country. This action follows the company’s violation of the Finnish Lotteries Act, leading to a punitive conditional fine of $2.6 million to instate the enforced ban.
The parent company of BML Group, Betsson, had been promoting their services to Finnish consumers across various platforms for a prolonged duration. Despite receiving multiple warnings to halt their advertising efforts, the firm proceeded with minor modifications in its approach, but did not stop promoting its services altogether.
The National Police Board identified that BML Group’s substantial monetary stakes within the region motivate them to continue their operations. While observing the severity of BML Group’s infringements, the board noted their efforts to curtail advertising and factored this into their decision when setting the amount of the conditional fine.
If the firm persists in its violations, the National Police Board cautioned, it will proceed to enforce the conditional fine stipulated.
BML Group Faces Advertising Prohibition in Mainland Finland
The restriction levied against BML Group means the firm is barred from promoting its offerings and reaching out to customers within Mainland Finland. This ban encompasses all forms of marketing communication, collaborations with local celebrities, podcasts and videocasts aimed at Finnish clientele, and articles in Finnish promoting BML Group’s gambling services to domestic audiences.
Furthermore, BML Group has been forbidden to advertise its gambling products on platforms other than its own in a manner that requires the group to compensate the promoter.
The company also must not disseminate any promotional material that targets Finland on its gambling sites. The National Police Board stipulated that all previously posted marketing materials must be removed.
The board confirmed that once the injunction becomes operative, it will list the operator under its supervised payment block list. This decision is expected to take effect from June 3 this year. The National Police Board has given the operator the opportunity to challenge the fine before this date.
Previous year, there was a discussion in Finland regarding the abolition of the current state monopoly, held by Veikkaus. The entity’s deputy CEO, Velipekka Nummikoski raised doubts over the existing system, insinuating that the market could potentially require restructuring.
This debate arose amidst prevailing concerns about the high offshore gambling rates in Finland, indicating that the monopolistic system may not be functioning as anticipated.
