A criminal complaint filed against the Latvian World Cup bronze team

On Monday, the police of Siš-Suomen registered a criminal complaint regarding Latvian jerseys.

On Monday, a criminal complaint was filed against the Latvian men’s national ice hockey team – more specifically about its jerseys.

The case was confirmed to Iltalehti by the crime commissioner of the Sisä-Finland police Arto Partanen.

– The announcement was made on Monday. The pre-examination notice will be recorded, and we will get to know the matter. At the moment, nothing else has been done other than receiving a criminal complaint, Partanen commented.

During the World Cup, the Latvian national team’s jerseys had an advertisement from the Estonian betting company Olybet. Latvia played the World Cup semi-final and the bronze medal match in Finland.

The Finnish Lotteries Act specifies that only Veikkaus may offer and market gambling games in mainland Finland. Foreign gambling games may not be advertised in mainland Finland.

– The national team has had an advertisement that was not domestic. Someone felt that the police should investigate a possible crime. The police records the matter and goes to do a preliminary investigation.

Partanen did not comment on the content of the criminal report or the law to which the author of the criminal report may have referred.

“One of a kind”

The Latvian team had a red advertisement of a betting company on their sleeves. PASI LEISMA

Olybet is an Estonian gambling company. In Latvian shirts, under the logo of the betting company, it also says “sports bar” in very small letters, or sports bar in Finnish.

Olybet has a restaurant bearing its name in Tallinn, which also has a website in Finnish. On the actual homepage of the gaming company, you can also play money games from Finland.

Partanen has not previously come across a criminal complaint related to a jersey advertisement.

– This is one of a kind. I’ve never had this treated before.

– We will get to know the subject in the coming days and weeks. This does not go to the top in terms of urgency.

According to the Lotteries Act, gambling marketing refers to activities that try to promote the demand for gambling or otherwise aim to increase the visibility of the operator of the gambling game and influence the image of the operator.

Does it promote gaming?

The Lottery Act is supervised by the Lottery Administration. Inspector general Karoliina Ronkainen according to the lottery administration, the lottery administration has not previously received any contact regarding advertisements for Latvian jerseys.

Ronkainen comments on the topic on a general level. He reminded of Veikkaus Oy’s exclusive right to market gambling in mainland Finland.

– The implementation and marketing of gambling games by other companies is completely prohibited under Section 62 of the Lotteries Act when it is directed to mainland Finland and consumers staying in mainland Finland, Ronkainen wrote by email.

In terms of legal interpretation, the essential question is whether the marketing aims to specifically promote gambling by people in mainland Finland and whether the advertised company’s games can be played in practice from mainland Finland.

– From the point of view of evaluating the target country of implementation and marketing, it is not important whether the operator and marketer of the gambling game has a license in another EU member state, Ronkainen informs.

You can also play in Finland on a website that advertises Latvian jerseys.

According to the Lotteries Act, outside the definition of marketing is the marketing of gambling games in a foreign or Åland publication, if the publication does not primarily aim to market games in Finland.

Latvia won the WC bronze in Tampere on Sunday.

Story edited on 29.5. at 21.13. Added information that the jersey also reads the words “sports bar” under the logo and that the gaming company has a restaurant bearing its name in Tallinn.

A criminal report was made to the police about Latvian jerseys. Jenni Gästgivar

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