Estonia is reconsidering how gambling is promoted as regulators report that a substantial share of the advertisements examined during a recent monitoring exercise failed to meet existing legal requirements.
The Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA) made gambling advertising one of its main supervisory priorities in 2025. Of the 230 gambling advertisements checked by the authority, 104 were found to contain at least one violation, representing approximately 45 per cent of the material reviewed.
Although the figure indicates ongoing compliance problems, the TTJA described the results as an improvement over an earlier 2023 monitoring project. According to the authority, almost all of the advertisements examined during that previous exercise contained violations.
Warning messages among the most common problems
The most common problem identified in 2025 involved warning messages that did not satisfy the applicable requirements. This issue appeared in 79 advertisements. The TTJA also recorded 54 cases involving prohibited calls to participate in gambling and 46 cases in which games of chance were advertised through locations or channels where such promotion was not permitted.
Because an advertisement can contain more than one problem, the number of individual violations exceeded the number of non-compliant advertisements. Estonian rules do not impose a universal prohibition on gambling marketing. Instead, the restrictions vary according to the type of gambling being promoted and the medium through which the advertisement is distributed.
Operators cannot use wording or images that directly encourage people to gamble or visit a gambling venue. Ads must also include the correct responsible-gambling warning, and some types of gambling advertising are not allowed in certain public places or media channels.
The TTJA supervises compliance with these advertising requirements, while other parts of Estonia’s gambling market are overseen by separate authorities.
Advertising rules considered as part of wider reform
The findings have emerged as the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications works on a broader revision of the country’s Advertising Act. The legislation is more than 15 years old, and the ministry has previously said that it no longer fully reflects changes in modern advertising practices and communication channels. However, the review does not mean that Estonia has decided to introduce a ban on gambling advertising or to significantly tighten the rules.
Speaking to Estonian public broadcaster ERR, ministry adviser Mari-Liis Aas indicated that officials are still assessing the issue. The government is seeking to balance consumer protection with businesses’ freedom to operate and communicate about lawful services.
TTJA representative Diana Lints also pointed to a visible increase in gambling promotion in recent years. The growth of online marketing, sponsorships, and gambling-related branding has intensified debate over whether the present framework provides sufficient protection, particularly where advertising may be seen by younger or vulnerable audiences.
What comes next for Estonia’s gambling market
The debate comes as Estonia is also changing its gambling tax system to attract more licensed online operators. This leaves the government with the challenge of supporting the growth of the regulated market while ensuring that advertising rules and consumer protections are not weakened.
For licensed operators, the current debate does not alter their immediate responsibilities. Existing advertising restrictions remain in force, and the TTJA can continue to take action where promotions fail to include the correct warning, use prohibited invitations, or appear through restricted channels.
The next significant development is likely to come through the wider reform of the Advertising Act. Until draft provisions are presented, it remains uncertain whether the government will favour stricter limitations, clearer guidance or stronger enforcement of the rules already in place.
Shape your feed around the future of gaming. Choose SiGMA World as your preferred source for insider voices, prediction market coverage, casino developments and global regulation news.
