Finland: Poliisihallitus orders marketing ban and €1.2M fine for MagicPoro Ltd

Poliisihallitus ordered on 31 August 2026 that MagicPoro Ltd cease all marketing activity directed at consumers in Finland and set a conditional fine of €1.2 million if the company breaches the ban. The decision covers the brands Pelikaani, Pelikioski, Bigwin and Pottila and requires removal of marketing materials online and on social media. Helsingin hallinto-oikeus (the Administrative Court of Helsinki) has suspended execution of the order while it considers the appeal filed by the company.

## What exactly did Poliisihallitus order

The 31 August ruling obliges MagicPoro Ltd to stop promoting gambling directed at Finland via the internet and social media, and to remove material already published. In addition to the cease-and-desist order, the authority set a conditional penalty of €1,200,000 that may be enforced if a breach is established. The decision explicitly applied to the brands Pelikaani, Pelikioski, Bigwin and Pottila.

Poliisihallitus also proposed adding MagicPoro to Finland's payment blocking list, but that measure is held in abeyance pending the final resolution of the administrative procedure.

## Background of the investigation and evidence gathered

Poliisihallitus opened the investigation in 2025 after its teams detected advertising material for brands linked to MagicPoro on affiliate sites and social networks. The cited evidence includes Finnish-language reviews, brand logos, bonus offers and links that led to gambling portals.

The authority also recorded paid campaigns targeted at Finland on social media. Notably, Poliisihallitus identified campaigns for the Pelikioski brand published via the Viralify platform, a short-video marketing service that distributes campaigns to creators and pushes them on TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.

The regulator's interpretation was clear: promotion does not require a direct link to the gambling site to be considered marketing. The presence of a casino logo, a description of the service or the promotion of bonuses can constitute advertising activity, even if links have been removed.

## Corporate profile of MagicPoro and lines of defence

MagicPoro Ltd has been registered in Cyprus since 2022 and operates under a licence issued in Estonia. The company filed an appeal against the 31 August order on 23 September 2026 with Helsingin hallinto-oikeus, asking that both the marketing ban and the conditional fine be annulled. As an alternative, it sought the removal or reduction of the sanction.

In its appeal, MagicPoro says it has taken steps to limit exposure in Finland: it modified websites, stopped its own paid advertising and requested that partners and affiliates remove content directed at the Finnish public. The company argued it does not have absolute control over content published by independent affiliates or third-party social accounts, and that its interventions are typically limited to removing tracking links and requesting material removal.

"The company has changed its sites and ceased its paid advertising, and has asked partners to remove content aimed at Finland," MagicPoro's legal filing states, according to the case record.

## Immediate effects and potential regulatory consequences

The interim suspension ordered by Helsingin hallinto-oikeus prevents execution of the order and immediate imposition of the fine, but it does not decide on the legality of the administrative act. The court will assess the company's claims and Poliisihallitus's reasoning in subsequent proceedings.

Inclusion of MagicPoro on the payment blocking list will remain frozen until the authority and the court complete the process. Payment blocking lists are used to prevent transfers to operators whose activity the regulator considers unlawful.

If MagicPoro were to apply for a licence to operate in the Finnish market in the future, the file before Poliisihallitus could influence assessment of that application, provided the authority's evaluation criteria and the final decision in this case are available at the time of processing.

## What operators and suppliers should note

The resolution highlights two practical points for operators, affiliates and marketing platforms:

• promotional activity directed at Finland can be considered marketing even when it does not include a direct link to the gambling site;

• liability for third-party content creates friction: operators can remove links and request takedowns, but cannot always control independent posts.

For platforms that manage social media content and short-video services, the decision will increase regulatory scrutiny over campaign dissemination on channels such as TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.

## Next steps in the case

Helsingin hallinto-oikeus will continue processing MagicPoro's appeal; the suspension of the order is a precautionary measure until the court issues a ruling on the merits. The Finnish administrative authority may then reactivate execution, maintain the ban, or see its decision annulled, depending on the court's findings.

Meanwhile, the possibility of payments to the operator being blocked in Finland remains conditional on the final outcome of the administrative procedure and any subsequent action by Poliisihallitus.

Sources cited in the case file include reports by Next.io dated 7 October 2026 and 9 October 2026 by Zak Thomas-Akoo.