Finland Blacklists Betsson’s BML Group Amid Regulatory Concerns
The blacklisting of Betsson's BML Group by the Finnish National Police Board is a historic move and the first against a gambling operator in the nation. In the midst of Finland's crackdown on unlawful gaming and promises to revamp its gambling industry, this action follows legal disputes and fines for specifically targeting Finnish players.
Finland's NPB bans Betsson's BML Group
Finnish players will no longer be required to pay for any of Betson's brands thanks to the unprecedented action taken by the Finnish National Police Board (NPB) against the casino operator, Betson's BML.
The 13 brands that make up the Betson-owned BML group were revealed today.
This follows a ruling by the NPB that Betson, which recently lost a lawsuit against it, had broken Finnish lottery statutes by using a marketing effort that targeted Finnish players.
Following an incident in May of last year, BML was fined €2.4 million for violating the restriction on promoting its athletic activities.
The decision was made when the NPB discovered that the company had been unlawfully chasing mainland Finnish players for a while.
As part of its strong stance against unlicensed gambling, Finland will begin enforcing payment laws for gaming in 2023. The intention is to take action against a sizable black market that presently accounts for half of the nation's gaming earnings.
Finland's Gambling Sector: Regulatory Obstacles and Reform
Additionally, Betson has had legal problems in the past. These issues arose in the Norwegian monopoly market in 2021, the same year that the Netherlands was prohibited from entering the regulated iGaming sector.
In the meantime, Veikkaus, the state-owned firm, will lose its monopoly, drastically altering the Finnish gaming market. By 2026, the government intends to transition to open licensing in an effort to lessen the detrimental effects of gaming and promote accessibility to legal services.
Veikkaus concurred with OpenBet to adapt its fixed odds betting system to modern standards. Veikkaus also revealed a significant reorganization as part of this progress, which included reducing about 25% of its workforce.
The choice to place Betsson on a blacklist demonstrates Finland's dedication to upholding stringent regulations in the gaming sector and readiness for the significant changes that are shortly to occur.
