Gambling marketing under close monitoring as WRC begins

The National Police Board (NPB) of Finland will supervise marketing of gambling services closely at the World Rally Championship event and its side events in Central Finland from Thursday to Sunday, said the NPB in a press release.

The NPB anticipates that certain gambling service providers outside the Finnish system, based on exclusive rights, may seek to utilize the event for marketing purposes.

The National Police Board has informed event organizers of the supervision campaign and requested them to inform the teams, drivers and side event organizers accordingly. The police will observe possible marketing of gambling services during the event.

Veikkaus Oy has the exclusive right to provide and market gambling services in mainland Finland. The main objective of this system is to prevent misuse and crime associated with gambling and to prevent and reduce the adverse economic, social and health effects caused by participation in gambling.

Senior Adviser of NPB Johanna Syväterä said that all marketing material that violates the Finnish Lotteries Act, including the logos of gambling service providers outside the Finnish system of exclusive rights, must be removed or hidden from sight so that spectators cannot see them.

“Attempts to market the brands of international gambling service providers and their games may appear during the event, in the form of logos printed on marketing materials. Moreover, marketing may appear along the rally route, on competitors’ clothing and fan merchandise, on video screens and light panels, in the background screens for interviews, and brochures, stickers and other giveaways,” said Senior Adviser Johanna Syväterä.

In addition to direct and indirect advertising, marketing involves other sales promotion activities, which, according to the preparatory materials of the Finnish Lotteries Act, include sponsoring, in connection of which the gambling service provider’s name or other identifier is visible.

“Sponsorship can be estimated to be a particularly interesting marketing method for gambling service providers because it reaches a designated, specific target group whose level of interest in sports betting, for example, may be above average. In addition, positive images associated with the sponsored person or sports can be associated with the brand,” said Syväterä.