The criminal report submitted to the Police Department of Inner Finland was unsuccessful.
Latvia sensationally won World Cup bronze at the World Ice Hockey Championships in Finland in May.
Immediately after the end of the games, a criminal report was filed against the Latvian ice hockey team to the police department of Inner Finland. The Latvian jerseys featured an advertisement of the Estonian betting company Olybet, which, according to the criminal complaint, can be seen in some cases to be against Finnish lottery legislation.
– The matter has been completed. In this particular case, the police will not investigate the crime any further, the crime commissioner of the Internal Finland Police Arto Partanen tells Iltalehte now.
The investigation decision states that, according to the police, the Latvian national ice hockey team played in Finland unpredictably and randomly, when the team was more successful than ever in its history.
Latvia did not play against Finland in Tampere either, so the police estimated in their decision that the spectators of the Latvian games probably consisted of more foreign spectators than Finns.
– Based on these criteria, it can be considered in this individual case that the advertisements on the shirts of the Latvian ice hockey team cannot be considered to be aimed specifically at consumers living in Finland or Finland, but rather that the marketing is primarily aimed at Latvia and Latvian consumers, the decision states.
The police consider the damage of the suspected gambling crime as a whole to be obviously low, even though the matches were watched by a large audience.
According to the police, it cannot be considered that the marketing carried out with the help of the ad was directly intended to promote the sale of gambling, especially in Finland.
– As described above, the appearance of the advertisement in Finland has been very random and short-lived, and indirectly through the name of the bar of the betting office in question.
The story continues after the picture.
Latvia wildly celebrated the World Cup bronze medal. PASI LEISMA
Estonian gaming company
Olybet is an Estonian gambling company, whose logo also read “sports bar” on Latvian jerseys. You can also play on the gaming company’s website from Finland.
The Finnish Lotteries Act specifies that foreign gambling may not be advertised in mainland Finland. Only Veikkaus can offer and advertise them in Finland.
It was also stated in the criminal report.
– It (criminal report) mainly contained a request to the police to investigate whether there is reason to suspect a crime and conduct a preliminary investigation. Specifically on the basis that the Latvian shirts had an indirect betting advertisement, Partanen says.
Latvia won the World Cup bronze medal in Tampere, when it beat the United States 4-3 in the bronze medal match at the end of overtime. The goal that decided the medal was scored Kristiāns Rubīns.
Olybet’s advertisement can be seen on the sleeve of the Latvian ice hockey team. PASI LEISMA