Betsson fined €2.5m in Finland for targeting mainland bettors

Betsson has been fined €2.5m ($2.7m) by the Finish Police Board for advertising gambling in the country.

The operator was found to have ‘targeted Mainland Finland in its advertising on multiple channels for an extensive period，’ despite the fact that Betsson does not hold a licence to operate in the Nordic country.

In a statement， the Finnish Police said Betsson changed its marketing channels after a hearing on the matter but still targeted mainland Finland. 

The Police stated: “The National Police Board estimated that BML Group has significant financial interest in continuing the activities and found that the illegal activities have continued for a long time regardless of the National Police Board’s previous control measures.”

As well as the sum， Betsson has been ordered to ‘refrain from publishing new sales promotion material targeting Mainland Finland on its gambling websites， remove all previously published sales promotion material from them and refrain from marketing on other websites in the future as well.’

The punitive action will take effect from 3 June， though Betsson can file an appeal.

The news comes shortly after Betsson recorded €147.5m in gross profit for Q1 2023，Online Casino Games for Real Money a 38% rise on Q1 2022.

Pontus Lindwall， President and CEO of Betsson AB， said of the report: “For 60 years， we have been offering entertainment in the form of casino games， sports betting and other types of games.

"Having a long-term perspective is the key when it comes to Betsson’s view about how the business should be run and how value is created for shareholders.”