Finland issues first post-reform prohibition order against Estonian operator MagicPoro and threatens EUR 1.2 million fine

Finland’s National Police Board has prohibited Estonian-licensed operator MagicPoro from marketing to Finnish players and attached a conditional EUR 1.2 million fine to the order. For PSPs and acquirers, the immediate signal is less about the operator itself and more about the country’s new enforcement tools: marketing bans, payment blocking, and a possible stain on any future licence application.

1. According to NEXT.io, Finland’s National Police Board (NPB) acted against MagicPoro over unlawful targeting of local players. Finland’s Lottery Act does not allow an operator licensed in Estonia to actively target Finnish customers, even if the company is authorised in its home market.
2. The NPB opened an investigation in 2025 into MagicPoro’s brands, including Pelikaani, Pelikioski and Bigwin. The regulator concluded that the brands were operating in breach of Finnish law and tried to contact the company, but MagicPoro did not respond initially.
3. Several months later, MagicPoro replied and said its content was not aimed at any specific country. The company also said it had instructed partners to stop publishing Finnish-language content.
4. The NPB kept finding marketing material live after that, including two campaigns promoting Pelikioski on the Viralify platform. Affiliate sources told NEXT.io that MagicPoro had asked partners to remove Finnish-language marketing, but substantial material still remained online. The regulator also identified another site, Pottila, as being behind MagicPoro.
5. As a result, the NPB issued a prohibition order banning MagicPoro from marketing its services in Finland. This is the first such order since Finland’s Parliament approved its new gaming law in 2025. If MagicPoro breaches the order, it faces the EUR 1.2 million fine. The company will also be added to a payment blocking list, which means Finnish payment and financial services will be prevented from processing bets.

The broader point for high-risk PSPs is straightforward: Finland is not just warning operators to stay away from local players, it is now pairing marketing enforcement with payment restrictions. The NPB also said the current order may affect future licensing decisions if MagicPoro later applies for a licence when Finland’s commercial gaming market launches.