Norwegian regulator fires warning shot at foreign operators
PokerStars, Mr Green and Leo Vegas among those the Gaming Authority has contacted regarding activities in Norway
The Norwegian Gaming Authority (Lotteritilsynet) has fired a warning shot to foreign gambling companies operating in Norway after the regulator recorded an upsurge in what it described as “illegal marketing”.
Last week Lotteritilsynet sent a letter to more than 20 egaming operators including Unibet, Mr Green, Leo Vegas and PokerStars to remind the firms of Norway’s gambling laws and request that they adapt their operations and marketing.
“[The] Gaming Board has recently recorded increased demand and marketing of some of these companies,” Atle Hamar, director of the Lotteritilsynet, said.
“Some companies have also publicly stated that they operate in accordance with Norwegian law, and it is wrong,” he added.
A number of companies told eGaming Review that they had received the letter and would review its contents before commenting.
Norway is one of Europe’s larger grey markets with no specific laws regarding remote gambling although the country has previously attempted to restrict local banks from processing gambling transactions.
A version of the letter was also sent to a number of former Norway international footballers such as Ronny Johnson and John Arne Riise who act as ambassadors for foreign gambling companies and were warned they could face direct action.
“The foreign online gaming companies are using increasingly famous Norwegian spokespersons or ambassadors in an attempt to market the games in Norway [and] these individuals thus contribute to the illegal marketing,” Hamar said.
“In the letter, we make it clear that it may be appropriate to respond directly to these persons unless the illegal marketing lapses,” he added.
The full list of letter recipients:
– Unibet.com
– MrGreen.com
– Betsson.com
– Spilleautomater.com
– Euroslots.com
– Norgesautomaten.com
– Norgesspill.com
– Betsafe.com
– Comeon.com
– 7red.com
– Norskelodd.com
– Maria.com
– Bingo.com
– Verajohn.com
– Nordicbet.com
– Pokerstars.com
– Pingocasino.com
– Casumo.com
– Norskespill.com
– Violetcasino.com
– Folkeautomaten.com
– SuperLenny.com
– Mobilebet.com
– Leovegas.com
Gambling and horse racing licences within Norway are exclusive to monopolies Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto respectively, although discussions began last year on the possibility of liberalising the market following the formation of a new coalition government.