Compliance Updates
Norwegian Government Introduces New Legislation to Crack Down on Unlicenced Operators
The Norwegian government has introduced new legislation to crack down on unlicenced operators and affiliates promoting them.
The new legislation unifies the country’s previous Lottery Act, Gambling Act and Totalisator Act while maintaining the market monopoly shared by Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto by “strengthening the exclusive rights model”.
The new gambling law was first proposed in June 2020, before the government notified the European Commission of the proposal in August of the same year.
Minister of culture and gender equality Abid Raja said the law would specifically crack down on operators who are not permitted to offer gambling in Norway.
“I am pleased to finally be able to present the new gambling law, which is a milestone in the government’s work to prevent gambling problems and ensure responsible gambling.
“We are tired of foreign gambling companies that do not respect Norwegian law, and that do not operate with proper accountability measures. Therefore, the new law provides the Norwegian Lotteries Authority with new tools for detecting, reacting to and sanctioning violations of the law.”
Under the new law, marketing gambling without a Norwegian licence is prohibited. The government said that this would apply not only to operators, but also to those who “pass on” customers, such as affiliates.
“Violation of the ban can result in punishment,” the government said.
Furthermore, marketing gambling to children will be a criminal offence, and there is a blanket ban on gambling with credit cards so as to promote responsible gambling habits.
Any operators are also obliged to introduce accountability measures, and any marketing to self-excluded gamblers will be a criminal offence. Marketing must also “not go beyond what is necessary to attract players to the legal gaming offers”.
Raja added: “Things are happening in the gambling field in Norway. The government has worked consciously for many years with gambling policy and this is yielding results.
“Foreign gambling companies and their payment intermediaries are withdrawing from the Norwegian market, their turnover is declining and advertising is no longer as easy to reach.”
Powered by WPeMatico
Compliance Updates
Elizabeth Varley, solicitor at licensing law firm Poppleston Allen, shares a handy refresher on the UK’s statutory levy, including the who, how much, why and how to pay
Invoices are now available for payment on eServices
Invoices for the Statutory Levy are now available on the Gambling Commission’s eServices. Payment must be made by 30 September 2025.
Licensees should have been contacted to make payment via the ‘Invoices and Payments’ tab of their eServices account. For anyone who has not received any correspondence, primary contact details on your eServices account should be checked to ensure these are up to date.
As a reminder, we have outlined the basics of the levy below.
What is the levy?
Following a public consultation led by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which ran from 17 October to 14 December 2023 the Government introduced a statutory levy to be charged to all licensed gambling operators, with rates set per sector/activity provided
The levy replaces the previous requirement for licensees to make annual financial contributions to a list of research, prevention and treatment organisations.
Where the total billable statutory levy value for a licensee is £10 or less for a relevant period, the licensee will not be required to pay.
The levy period
The first statutory levy period is defined in the Gambling Levy Regulations. For lottery operating (society) licences the first statutory levy period began on 1 April 2024, for all other operating licenses the first statutory levy period began on 1 July 2024. For all licensees, except society lottery operating licences, the calculation of the statutory levy will be based on Regulatory Returns data from July 2024 to March 2025 multiplied by one and one-third. For society lottery operating licences the calculation will be based on data reported to the Gambling Commission relating to 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
The statutory levy will then be invoiced on an annual basis, on 1 September, and will be based on the activity from the previous financial year. For example an invoice issued on 1 September 2026, would be the levy payable for 2026 to 2027, but would be based on regulatory return data relating to 2025 to 2026 (April 2025 to March 2026).
Payment
Invoices for the statutory levy this financial year (2024 to 2025) are now available online through eServices with full payment required before 1 October 2025, meaning payment must be made by midnight on 30 September 2025.
Payment of the statutory levy is a licence requirement, and therefore non-payment, or late payment of the statutory levy could result in operating licence revocation, unless the Gambling Commission is satisfied that this is due to administrative error.
How is the levy calculated?
The rate of the levy varies depending on the licensed activity provided, ranging from 0.1 percent to 1.1 percent:
|
Type |
Percentage of leviable amount |
|
Gambling Software |
1.1% |
|
Remote Betting intermediary (not trading room only) |
1.1% |
|
Remote Bingo |
1.1% |
|
Remote Casino |
1.1% |
|
Remote General Betting |
1.1% |
|
Betting intermediary (trading room only) |
0.5% |
|
Non remote betting intermediary |
0.5% |
|
Non remote casino |
0.5% |
|
Non remote General Betting (not on-track or on-course) |
0.5% |
|
AGC |
0.2% |
|
Non remote Bingo |
0.2% |
|
Non remote General Betting (on-track or on-course) |
0.2% |
|
FEC |
0.1% |
|
Gaming Machine Technical |
0.1% |
|
Lottery |
0.1% |
|
Pool Betting |
0.1% |
The post Elizabeth Varley, solicitor at licensing law firm Poppleston Allen, shares a handy refresher on the UK’s statutory levy, including the who, how much, why and how to pay appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The fight against illegal lotto operations in Ghana continues unabated with a major push led by the Director-General and Management of the National Lottery Authority (NLA).
On August 26, the Authority organised a press conference at Brennan Hall to re-emphasise the ongoing registration exercise for Lotto Writers under registered Private Lotto Operators, a process initially launched on September 18, 2024, under the previous leadership.
As part of the initiative, unique identification stickers are being introduced for all Writers and Agents of Private Lotto Operators (PLOs). This measure is expected to reduce illegal activities in the industry and significantly boost the Authority’s revenue.
Addressing the press, the Director-General, Mr. Mohammed Abdul-Salam, noted the growing difficulty distinguishing legitimate writers from illegal ones. He explained that the introduction of the new sticker system would firmly establish the Authority’s regulatory role. Supported by the Operations and Compliance teams, this initiative will be enforced from September 1, 2025, to clamp down on unlicensed operators.
The Executive Secretary of the Concerned Lotto Agents and Writers Association (CLAAG), Mr. Kwaku Duah, welcomed the development, stressing that it was time for Registered Operators to benefit from the fees they had paid. He further cautioned that any Agent or Writer who fails to comply with the new regulations would not receive their support when caught by the law.
The sticker will display the Agent or Writer’s name, location, phone number and payment details, among other information. A QR code generated upon payment will allow the compliance team to easily verify duly licensed operators during their visits.
Mr. Andrew Tuah, Head of Operations, added that the registration fee of GHC 250 for Lotto Writers was to be renewed annually. In addition to the sticker’s robust security features, which cannot be duplicated, he announced a nationwide sensitisation exercise for the Lotto Writers to familiarise themselves with this app.
The press conference was also attended by the Deputy Director-General, Mr. Eric Yeboah Wadie, the Public Relations Officer of CLAAG, Mr. David Agbeviadeh, members of the Executive Management, Management and Staff of the Authority.
The post Ghana’s NLA Introduces New Sticker to Clamp Down on Illegal Lotto Operators appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
CT Gaming has announced that the newest addition to its multigame portfolio – Diamond King 5 – has now been officially certified for the Bulgarian market. This marks an important milestone for the company.
As part of the well-established Diamond King series, the new multigame brings even more excitement and opportunities for players. The package includes 40 games, of which 20 are linked to the progressive Diamond Tree Deluxe jackpot, adding extra layers of entertainment and winning potential. The remaining 20 titles are classic games, including two with a Buy Bonus feature, allowing players to dive directly into the bonus rounds.
Diamond King 5 combines well-known player favorites with the legendary Mega Jack trio – Aztec Gold, Slot-O-Pol Deluxe, and Champagne Party – along with a range of exciting new titles that are set to become audience hits. Just like with Diamond King 4, players can win bonuses and jackpots during the base game, promising an even more thrilling gaming experience. In addition to its exciting content, the multigame is compatible with two types of cabinets — the EZ Modulo Tower with a single vertical monitor, and the NEXT or EZ Modulo with three horizontally positioned monitors.
“The certification of Diamond King 5 is an important moment for us. This is a product in which we have invested the very best of everything we’ve created in the series so far. We are confident that it will build upon the success of the previous multigames and deliver outstanding results for both operators and players,” said Biser Bojanov, CEO of CT Gaming.
The certification of Diamond King 5 in Bulgaria is just the first step in its international rollout. In the coming months, the product is set to be introduced to other key markets, continuing CT Gaming’s mission to provide flexible solutions with excellent performance for operators and unforgettable experiences for players.
The post CT Gaming Secures Certification for its Latest Multigame – Diamond King 5 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Balkans7 days agoELA Games Partners With Superbet to Expand Offerings in Serbia
-
Asia7 days ago
New Indian Law Aims to Curb Online Money Gambling Sector, Prohibits Related Advertising
-
Canada7 days agoGolden Nugget Online Casino Debuts in Ontario
-
Caio Vianna7 days ago
Brazil Congress Told to Focus on $6.4B Gambling Revenue Losses to the Black Market
-
Compliance Updates7 days ago
Romania Blocks 30 Unlicensed Gambling Websites
-
Brazil7 days ago
SOFTSWISS Wins Best Game Aggregator Award in Latin America
-
Latest News7 days ago
SOFTSWISS Wins Best Game Aggregator Award in Latin America
-
Baltics6 days ago
All Gambling Halls in Riga Threatened with Closure – Industry Raises Alarm
