Finland probes illegal gambling ads as ex-ski champion faces scrutiny
Finland’s National Police Board (NPB)’s lottery administration is investigating the marketing activities of Malta-licensed operator Rootz in connection with Finnish personalities.
First reported by Helsinki-based tabloid Iltalehti, the authority sent a request for information to Rootz in July 2025, stating that the company was believed to promote its Wildz brand to Finnish customers. It also warned of potential legal action, including a marketing ban and a fine.
In the preliminary investigation material obtained by the newspaper, the authority attached screenshots of Instagram stories promoting Wildz by alpine skiing star and former World Cup champion Kalle Palander, a regular guest of the Gämblers Cast podcast. Boasting around 42,000 subscribers on YouTube, the show also features Finnish public figure and former TV presenter Aleksi Valavuori and Juha Perälä.
The NPB cited several other websites in its report, including leijonat.com, suomifutis.com, gämblers.com and Valavuori’s affiliate site mummorulla.com. It also suggested that the Wildz brand was advertised during the mixed martial arts event Ice Cage 4.
Responding to the probe, Palander said “the whole thing came completely out of nowhere” and that he was “confused” about the inclusion of his Instagram content in the files. However, he claimed no authority had been in contact with him regarding the investigation.
Rootz denied the accusations and announced through a law firm that it would take steps to avoid penalties. It pledged to prohibit local affiliates from advertising its brand and to modify its websites, removing Finnish bank logos and phrases such as “in Finnish”, “in Finland” and “favourites of Finnish people”. The company also requested guidance from the NPB on whether its corrective actions were sufficient.
Under the current Lottery Act, foreign betting companies are not permitted to target Finnish customers. This will change as Finland prepares to open its liberalised gaming market in 2027, ending the monopoly of state-run operator Veikkaus, which currently holds exclusive rights to both online and offline gambling.
The government’s draft regulation states that operators may apply for B2C gambling licences in 2026, with fully licensed operations expected to launch by early 2027. The proposed framework bans the use of third-party affiliates, requiring all customer acquisition to be managed in-house.
Rootz is not the first company suspected of breaching Finland’s gambling advertising rules. In 2023, Betsson subsidiary BML Group was fined €2.4 million (£2.1 million/$2.6 million) and banned from promoting its services to Finnish players. In 2024, Rootz received repeated clarification requests from the police but denied carrying out marketing activities in the country .
According to a report released by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare in 2024, despite the rise in the age limit for slot machines from 15 to 18 years old in 2011, underage gambling remains widespread, with many students aged 15 to 16 still playing slots.