Finland’s state-owned gambling operator, Veikkaus, is facing scrutiny from the National Police Board over allegations that it has used sponsored social media posts to illegally market its casino games and physical gaming locations.
The investigation was prompted by reports, first published by Pokerit magazine, claiming the company has been purchasing visibility on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, potentially violating the country’s strict Lottery Act.
According to the allegations, Veikkaus has repeatedly used paid promotions to advertise poker tournaments and its venues, including Casino Helsinki.
Finnish law strictly limits the marketing of casino and slot machine games to the physical premises where they are located and prohibits the advertising of the gaming locations themselves.
Communication about these offerings is meant to be purely informational and must not contain “experiential elements” designed to entice players.
The sponsored posts, seen by Finnish news agency STT, reportedly featured enticing taglines such as “Casino entertainment in the heart of the city,” accompanied by illustrative videos and upbeat music.
This type of content could be classified as experiential and therefore in breach of the regulations. The National Police Board has confirmed it was not previously aware of the issue but will now launch a full investigation into the matter.
Veikkaus has stated that its actions are compliant with the law and that it maintains a continuous dialogue with the regulator.
The company claims it sought the Police Board’s view before launching the communications and that the posts were a “moderate” effort to channel players to the legal, regulated offering.
However, the regulator has refuted the claim that it gives “prior approval” for Veikkaus’s marketing campaigns. If found in breach, Veikkaus could face a prohibition order, fines, or a penalty payment.
Johanna Syväterä, Chief Inspector at the National Police Board, stated:
“This needs to be looked into to see if any measures need to be taken regarding Veikkaus.” Regarding prior consultation, she clarified: “We do not give prior approval for Veikkaus’s communications.”
In an email to STT, Veikkaus communications said:
“Compliance with the Lottery Act is a matter of course for us and the starting point for everything… Veikkaus is by no means acting in violation of the Lottery Act, not in this case either. That is why we have in this case too sought the National Police Board’s view before we have taken information about poker gaming locations to our external channels.”
