Swedish multinational betting firm Betsson is changing the parent company behind its EU operations from BML Group to Rizk Nordic Limited.
The switchover follows, although has not been confirmed to be a result of, a blacklisting of the BML Group brand in Finland by the National Police force due to ‘banned marketing’.
Any gambling firm on the blacklist will be barred from working with all Finnish banks, payment service providers, or crypto companies, thus blocking the operator’s ability to receive payments from Finnish players.
Last year, Betsson was ordered to pay a €2.4m fine by the Helsinki Administrative Court after being accused of illegally targeting Finnish players.
Finland has a monopoly licensing system, with the state-owned betting and gaming operator Veikkaus the primary operator of gaming products. However, Betsson has denied accusations that it is breaching monopoly laws.
Speaking to Finnish media outlet MTV, Mikko Cantell, Chief Inspector of the Police Board’s Lottery Administration, said: “With its own activities, the Police Board is trying to ensure that banned gambling marketing has ceased, and if it were to continue, we will take measures.”
Lawmakers are working towards an overhaul of Finland’s licensing framework that might put an end to the monopoly for sports betting by 2026, with Veikkaus retaining its monopoly over online casino, land-based gaming and lottery.
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The government and Veikkaus have raised concerns around channelization, with large numbers of Finns betting with offshore operators.
