Finland Supreme Court Upholds Decision to Keep Betsson’s BML Group on Payment Blocking List

BML Group to Remain Restricted in Finland

The Finnish Supreme Administrative Court confirmed the National Police Board’s decision to put BML Group on the payment blocking list. The list means that all financial institutions, including banks and crypto providers, must block payments between Finnish customers and listed companies.

This comes after BML was first put on the list in February 2024, when the Helsinki Administrative Court found the company guilty of marketing violations.

The court fined BML €2.4 million for targeting Finnish players through illegal marketing campaigns. Betsson appealed the verdict to the Supreme Administrative Court which resulted in the recent decision.

Before the regulatory issues, Betsson moved its European Union brands (except for Sweden and Ireland) to a new holding company, Rizk Nordic Limited. This is part of the company’s efforts to navigate the complex regulatory environment.

Betsson’s Uncertain Future in Finland?

According to Finland’s legal expert Antti Koivula, BML will be on the payment blocking list until October 19, 2025.  Koivula noted: “While the resolution of this case unfolded as expected, the more intriguing question now is: who will be next to join BML on the blacklist?”

The ruling also casts uncertainty over Betsson’s potential application for a gaming license following Finland’s planned market liberalization in 2027. Historically dominated by the state-owned Veikkaus monopoly, Finland’s gambling market is set to transition to a competitive licensing framework due to persistently low channelization rates.