Veikkaus suspends advertising after public backlash to new ads

Finnish monopoly operator Veikkaus has suspended the bulk of its paid advertising until the end of September, following public complaints over its marketing practices.

The decision will apply to TV, radio, print, online, outdoor adverts and social media advertising, but excludes advertising of lotto, and brand and liability marketing.

The company has begun an independently-led audit of its current marketing practices and said it would make any requested changes imminently.

The review comes after several complaints about a series of radio advertisements featuring a therapist who suggested that individuals seeking thrills should place bets on horseracing via the Veikkaus site.

The advertisements were released to coincide with Finland’s annual Kuninkuusravit harness racing championship, which ends this weekend. Another ad which received complaints from Finland’s National Police Board likened gambling online to drinking coffee.

In a statement, Veikkaus CEO Olli Sarekoski confirmed the company would only recommence marketing once the overall evaluation of the company’s marketing was completed.

“Only after these decisions will we return to the new normal,” Sarekoski said.

In addition, Veikkaus said it will particularly scrutinise the marketing of higher-risk games, discussing current procedures and any procedural changes with the Finnish National Police Board once the review has been completed.

Sarekoski said the company had “no reason to deny the facts” in that it had made mistakes in its marketing which contravened its own guidelines.

“We take responsibility for them, we are really sorry for the anger we have caused, and we will learn from our mistakes,” Sarekoski added.

Finland is currently reviewing whether to remove Veikkaus’ gambling monopoly in Finland, while the national health authority has called for gambling marketing to be highly restricted in line with alcohol and tobacco advertising.