Veikkaus suspends buying ads following uproar

The CEO of the state-run betting agency Veikkaus, Olli Sarekoski on Tuesday announced that the company will suspend the purchasing of advertising, said Veikkaus in a press release.

Veikkaus said recently the message in its advertising had been received negatively in the public as well as in the traditional and social media.

“There is no reason to deny the facts. We have made mistakes. Some of our advertisements have not complied with the company’s agreed marketing principles. We take responsibility for them and we are very sorry for the distress we have caused. We intend to learn from our mistakes,” said Sarekoski.

According to Sarekoski, the decision to suspend advertising has already been made.

“We will put all of our other purchased advertising on hold until the end of September, except for lotto, Eurojackpot and Vikinglotto pot marketing, and brand and liability marketing. The decision applies to all purchased advertising space on television, radio, print, online, outdoor advertising and social media. Advertising will be driven down at a fast pace this week,” Sarekoski added.

Veikkaus will also take measures to prevent similar mistakes from happening in the future.

“We have already begun an investigation with an external operator, where we would go through our marketing related processes very closely, we will audit our current policies, interpretations, and operations and make the necessary changes to them promptly,” promised Sarekoski.