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.”
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The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) has announced Chief Tammy Cook-Searson, of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, as its new Board Chair for SIGA’s Board of Directors.
SIGA is a non-profit First Nation gaming operator for seven land-based casinos and the online gaming platform PlayNow.com in Saskatchewan.
Chief Cook-Searson first joined SIGA’s Board of Directors in 2018 and has been a regular SIGA Board member as well as a member of SIGA’s Audit & Finance Committee.
She is serving in her 20th year as Chief of Lac La Ronge Indian Band and has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree and a graduate diploma in management from Athabasca University. She also holds honorary degrees from the University of Regina, the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) and Saskatchewan Polytechnic.
Chief Cook-Searson replaces outgoing Board Chair former Chief of Muskowekwan First Nation Reginald Bellerose, who has held the Board Chair position since February 4, 2015.
The post The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) Selects New Board Chair appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has requested the Australian internet service providers (ISPs) to block more illegal online gambling sites, after investigations found these services to be operating in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
The latest sites blocked include Casiny, CoinPoker, Crown Play, Fafabet9, SlotFred, Smart 93 and Vigor Spin.
Website blocking is one of a range of enforcement options to protect Australians against illegal online gambling. Since the ACMA made its first blocking request in November 2019, 1251 illegal gambling and affiliate websites have been blocked. Around 220 illegal services have also pulled out of the Australian market since the ACMA started enforcing new illegal online gambling rules in 2017.
The post ACMA Blocks More llegal Online Gambling Websites appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Norway’s state-run gambling model could soon face a major change. With the next general election scheduled for September 8, the Progress Party is renewing calls to end the national gambling monopoly.
Speaking at a May conference hosted by the Norwegian Online Gaming Association (Norsk Bransjeforening for Onlinespill), MP Silje Hjemdal reiterated her party’s long-standing position that Norway must move towards a liberalised market. The call echoes the Progress Party’s 2021 election manifesto and gains momentum as similar reforms unfold in neighbouring Finland.
Hjemdal, a member of the Storting’s family and culture committee, highlighted successful remote gambling frameworks in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. While she stopped short of endorsing a specific model, she expressed admiration for Denmark’s regulatory setup.
“I haven’t landed on a concrete model, but what’s happening in Denmark is very exciting. I’d gladly take a study trip there to learn more,” she said.
She also pointed to the broader risks of maintaining the monopoly, noting that large sums of money continue to flow out of the country through unlicensed platforms.
“We are one of the very few countries left using this model. There’s a clear need for better regulation—under the current system, Norwegian sports and culture lose out as money is spent offshore,” Hjemdal added.
The Progress Party isn’t alone in pushing for change. The Conservative Party also supports opening Norway’s gambling market and included the proposal in its latest manifesto, released in September 2023.
Carl Stenstrøm, Secretary-General of the Norwegian Online Gaming Association, believes the upcoming election could prove decisive. In a previous interview, he described the current level of cross-party support as the strongest yet for ending the monopoly, with liberalisation potentially arriving by 2028.
The post Norway Progress Party Renew Calls to End Gambling Monopoly appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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