Compliance Updates

Finland: Eurosport Fined €800,000 for Gambling Ads

Published

4 years ago

October 15, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The National Police Board (NPB) has imposed a conditional fine of EUR 800,000 on an international broadcaster Eurosport 1 television channel recently for marketing of gambling services in Finland.

Earlier, on 16 September, the NPB prohibited Eurosport SAS (Eurosport) from marketing gambling services in Mainland Finland.

The prohibition remains valid for a period of three months and shall apply from 30 days after the date of service of the decision, unless otherwise directed by the appeal authority.

The NPB has detected that the marketing of gambling services has occurred regularly, extensively and for several years in the Eurosport 1. Gambling services have been marketed in advertisements during commercial breaks in television broadcasting.

“The supervision process in accordance with our legislation gives companies the opportunity to alter their operations and have their views heard,” said Anna-Emilia Sirén, Senior Adviser, Gambling Administration at the NPB.

Despite a number of exhortations, Eurosport has, however, continued the marketing that is considered unlawful by the authority.

Before imposing the marketing ban, the NPB has issued a statement to the company about the marketing of gambling and informed the company of the fact that only Veikkaus holds the exclusive right to market gambling services in Mainland Finland.

In its statement, the NPB, among other things, said that the marketing of gambling services on the channel violates Finland’s national legislation, regardless of the marketing being carried out from outside the Finnish borders.

Eurosport has not provided a response to the statement issued by the National Police Board in March 2021.

“The starting point for supervision is that the full range of methods, from the lenient to the strict, are used,” Sirén said, adding, “as an authority, we take the other party’s views into account, but if necessary, we prohibit the activity that we consider unlawful.”

With TV broadcasters in particular, there has been disagreement about the impact of EU law on the illegality of activities. The NPB has taken measures not only against Eurosport, but two other international TV broadcasters as well.

Asia

GRA Renews Singapore Pools Licence for Five-year Term

Published

1 hour ago

October 22, 2025

Niji Narayan

gra-renews-singapore-pools-licence-for-five-year-term

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) has renewed the licence of Singapore Pools (Private) Limited (Singapore Pools) to conduct betting operations, gaming and lotteries under Section 54 of the Gambling Control Act 2022 (GCA). The tenure for the licence will be five years with effect from 25 October 2025, following GRA’s assessment that Singapore Pools has fulfilled the requirements under Section 54 the GCA.

The post GRA Renews Singapore Pools Licence for Five-year Term appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Compliance Updates

Euromat Files Complaint Over Croatia’s Gambling Act Amendment

Published

1 hour ago

October 22, 2025

Niji Narayan

euromat-files-complaint-over-croatia’s-gambling-act-amendment

Reading Time: < 1 minute

An official complaint has been filed by the European Gambling and Amusement Federation (Euromat) with the European Commission regarding Croatia’s amendments of its Gambling Act.

Under Directive (EU) 2015/1535, member countries are obliged to notify any changes to its Gambling Act through the Technical Regulation Information System (TRIS). According to Euromat, the Croatian government failed to do this when introducing “far-reaching” technical rules affecting access and provision of services on the Croatian gambling market.

Failure to notify constitutes a breach of EU law.

These changes include mandatory player identification systems, strict limitations on the location and layout of gambling venues, a comprehensive ban on online and social-media advertising, temporal restrictions on operation and a central player self-exclusion register.

“This complaint marks an important first step in the EU’s legal process. Complaints such as that filed by Euromat are a key tool to alert the Commission to potential breaches of EU law. Based on Euromat’s complaint, the European Commission will be able to assess the evidence and decide on the next steps, including whether to open infringement proceedings against Croatia,” said Euromat president Jason Frost.

“The notification procedure exists to ensure that national measures are compatible with the principles of the single market. Croatia’s decision to ignore this obligation not only breaches EU law; it also threatens legal certainty for businesses across Europe. The Commission must act decisively to uphold the integrity of the internal market.”

The post Euromat Files Complaint Over Croatia’s Gambling Act Amendment appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Compliance Updates

KSA to Introduce New Licences for Skill-based Gaming Machines

Published

1 hour ago

October 22, 2025

Niji Narayan

ksa-to-introduce-new-licences-for-skill-based-gaming-machines

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has announced the plans to offer the option of applying for a limited operating license that only permits the operation of skill-based machines. This will make it easier for operators who only operate skill-based machines to apply for a license.

Request from the market

With this limited operating license, the KSA is meeting a need in the gaming machine market. Operators with only skill-based machines have indicated they would like a separate license, separate from the offering of gaming machines. This limited operating license can have a shorter substantive review process and therefore be issued more quickly.

Various slot machines

At the moment, there is only one type of operating license for gaming machines, which applies to gaming machines in halls and catering establishments and skill machines.

A skill machine is a slot machine:

Which does not award prizes except for extra or longer games; and

Where the course of the game depends entirely or almost entirely on the skill of the player.

A classic example of a skill machine is a pinball machine, where players can win extra balls. Any slot machine that isn’t a skill machine is automatically a chance machine.

More information about the permit application

The Royal Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) will soon provide more information about the application procedure for the limited operating license for skill machines.

The post KSA to Introduce New Licences for Skill-based Gaming Machines appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.