THE RECURRING PROBLEMS in Veikkaus’ advertising are an indication that the rules of advertising are not perfectly clear to the state-owned gambling monopoly, views Sirpa Paatero (SDP), the Minister of Local Government and Ownership Steering.
“It’s clear that there’s some room for specification because they keep on ending up in situations like these,” she commented to Uusi Suomi on Monday.
Veikkaus last weekend announced it has withdrawn an ad from radio circulation following a public outcry over its contents. In the ad, people with a craving for gambling ask a therapist whether it is acceptable for them to dream about hitting the jackpot. The therapist encourages them to satisfy their gambling needs at racetracks or on the website of Veikkaus.
Velipekka Nummikoski, the deputy chief executive at Veikkaus, admitted last weekend that the ad was unsuccessful.
Paatero on Monday stated that she is not familiar with the ad in question but commended the betting agency for its response. “The feedback has been heard and the ad has been pulled. This is the conclusion you should draw if there’s even the slightest of doubts that an ad is inappropriate,” she said.
The National Police Board asked Veikkaus earlier this summer to examine an ad in which the betting agency evidently drew a parallel between going out for a cup of coffee and playing Keno, a lottery-like game offered by Veikkaus. Concerns about problem gambling have been at the center of Finnish regulation and the country has experienced a decrease in problem gambling lately.
The ad was later pulled.
The National Police Board has also reprimanded the state-owned company for running ads that target at underage people and create a positive image of gambling. Additional worries are the online ads by offshore casinos, featuring popular games like Tombstone Slaughter, targeting Finns, even though these casinos are not regulated in Finland. A recent wave of online influencers promoting gambling is a worry as well, as there are plenty of Finnish YouTube gambling channels promoting operators, as well as operators like Paf signing celebrities to promote their brands.
“The next time we sit down with the company, it’d be good to also talk about advertising. Allowing Veikkaus to advertise is warranted, but the advertisements have to be appropriate also in the eyes of authorities, and promote responsible gambling behaviour,” outlined Paatero.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
Source: Uusi Suomi