Eurosport fined €800,000 for broadcasting gambling ads in Finland

Finland’s National Police Board has handed down a €800,000 (£678,000) fine to pan-European sports broadcaster Eurosport for screening gambling adverts on its main channel, Eurosport 1.

The action was taken due to Eurosport, which is a subsidiary of Discovery, “regularly” and “extensively” running gambling adverts during commercial breaks “for several years”.

Despite a “number of exhortations”, the police said, Eurosport continued marketing that is “considered unlawful by the authority”.

As well as the fine, Eurosport has been prohibited from airing gambling marketing on its channels in the country for a period of three months.

Finland operates a monopoly gambling market, with 81-year-old operator Veikkaus holding the exclusive right to market gambling services in the northern European country.

The police board said the adverts in question featured Finnish bank credentials as an authentication option, while many were shown in Finnish and there were references to local problem gambling service Peluuri.

Moreover, an unnamed celebrity who is well known in Finland, was said to have fronted adverts for gambling.

Besides Eurosport, the authorities revealed they have taken measures against two other international broadcasters, although they were not named.

Anna-Emilia Sirén, senior adviser for gambling administration at the National Police Board, said: “The marketing of gambling services is strictly regulated in the Lotteries Act in order to protect consumers from the harm caused by gambling.

“Cross-border marketing of gambling, in violation of the Lotteries Act, aims to increase gambling and impedes achieving the goals set for the Finnish gambling system.”