SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
A report commissioned by Finland’s National Institute for Health & Welfare (THL) has warned state-monopoly Veikkaus and media stakeholders that gambling advertising is not in-line with the nation’s public health interests.
Speaking to national broadcaster Yle.fi, THL senior researcher Jani Selin stated that Veikkaus advertising messages had failed to convey the public health risks attached to gambling.
“The advertising slogans of Veikkaus are at odds with public health communication. Veikkaus’ marketing sends very different messages than those about the dangers of gambling. They should be consistent and in keeping with the way that other harmful products are marketed,” Jani Selin detailed to Yle.
Furthermore, Veikkaus position as state gambling monopoly has come under the scrutiny of Finland’s Social Affairs Ministry which detailed last month that the operator had failed to curb problem gambling rates, a key directive in Veikkaus absorbing RAY and Fintoto enterprises back in 2017.
In its report, the THL urges the Finnish government to review Veikkaus €50 million advertising account, restricting the promotion of ‘high risk games’ and volume of Veikkaus advertising.
Veikkaus Managing Director Velipekka Nummikoski would issue a statement defending the firm’s advertising practices, stating that Veikkaus has always followed a social mandate promoting low-risk ‘green games’.
Nummikoski, detailed that problem gambling concerns should be attributed to foreign unlicensed operators, that could still target national consumers through multiple media channels, and that are not restricted public access by Finland’s legal frameworks.
