The stated aim of Finland's gambling reform is to prevent and reduce gambling harm, according to the Ministry of the Interior. The marketing rules in the new Gambling Act reflect that aim. This guide summarises what operators need to build into every campaign. It is general information, not legal advice.
Minors
The Act is strict about minors:
- marketing must not be targeted at minors;
- minors must not appear in gambling marketing;
- gambling may not be marketed in TV, radio, cinema or publications aimed at minors, or in media services aimed at minors;
- gambling may not be marketed at sports or other events aimed at minors;
- sponsorship agreements may not be made with under-18s or people producing content aimed at under-18s.
In practice: check every person appearing in your content, every media placement and every event or sponsorship partner.
Vulnerable audiences
Marketing must not be targeted at people in a vulnerable position. Direct marketing is restricted: it requires explicit consent, telephone marketing is prohibited, and marketing must not be targeted at people who have blocked all gambling or who have not played the licence holder's games during the previous two years. If a person has blocked a specific game, they may only receive marketing for games they have not blocked.
Content that is not allowed
The Act prohibits marketing that, for example, presents gambling as desirable or harmless, normalises it as part of everyday life, presents it as a solution to financial or life problems, links it to social success, misleads about winning chances or exploits inexperience. See gambling advertising rules in Finland for the full overview.
Required information in every message
Gambling marketing must always include:
- the legal age limit for gambling;
- where to find gambling control tools and help services for gambling problems;
- information on the licence granted and the supervisory authority (not required in radio advertising).
The Finnish Police also explain that legitimate operators provide their licence number, the supervisory authority and the age limit, in Finnish and Swedish.
Moderation
Marketing must be moderate in amount, scope, visibility and frequency. Responsible marketing is therefore also a media-planning question, not just a creative one.
Build it into campaign review
A practical review step for every asset:
- Who is the audience, and could it include minors or vulnerable people?
- Does anyone under 18 appear?
- Does the message avoid all prohibited methods?
- Are age limit, help services, licence and supervisory authority included?
- Is the channel permitted, and is the overall volume moderate?
- Has legal and compliance signed off?
How Collafly can help
Collafly builds these checks into the Finnish content we produce and coordinate for licensed operators, with final approval always resting with the operator's compliance team. See iGaming marketing in Finland.
