Lottery Operator Pulls Slick Move After Court Ruling
Although the court stopped state-owned lottery operator Eesti Loto from publishing jackpot estimates both in the media and ticket sales points, the company found a way to legally continue announcing the potential winnings.
Forbidden by the Tallinn Administrative court decision to advertise the upcoming jackpot sum, Eesti Loto will begin announcing the undistributed winnings of the last draw which will be added to the next jackpot.
"The Consumer Protection Board should not have any legal issues with announcing the undistributed share of the jackpot," Heiki Kranich, head of Eesti Loto said, adding that it should be seen as notifying the customers rather than advertising the potential gains.
In July, the Consumer Protection Board ordered Eesti Loto to stop publishing upcoming jackpot estimates as the practice could be compared to gambling advertisements which are prohibited by law. The lottery operator, however, did not take the consumer protection orders lying down, and appealed the decision in court. Eesti Loto's argument was the clause in the Gambling Act that obliges lotto organizers to inform the players about the rules and conditions of the draw.
Ingrid Teesalu
