Betsson instructed to leave Norwegian market

The Norwegian Gaming Authority (NGA) has ordered Betsson and four of its subsidiaries to exit the country. Betsson, along with Betsafe, Nordicbet, Norgesautomaten and CasinoEuro have been instructed to stop offering online gaming to Norwegian consumers by the regulatory body as they do not hold a licence to operate in Norway. Betsson and its subsidiaries are licensed by Malta, with the NGA stating that without a Norwegian licence, the brands cannot continue to operate in the Scandinavian country. In its assessment, the NGA said the brands had failed on a number of criteria and were deemed to be “clearly” aiming their platforms to the Norwegian market. The NGA noted the brands’ marketing takes place on Norwegian TV channels, the internet and live advertising, while at least one of those methods offers players the opportunity to play with Norwegian krone. Online gambling sites were also found to have Norwegian-language customer support and links to Norwegian bodies for dealing with gambling addiction and related harm. The NGA went on to state that only Norsk Tipping has the “the exclusive right to offer online casino games, bingo games, scratch games and odds games according to the Gambling Act” and that all other operators wishing to operate in Norway must receive permission from the authorities before doing so. The NGA said: “We point out that the deadline for complying with the notified decision will be set at three weeks from the date of the decision. “If the illegal relationship does not cease after the decision has been made, the Norwegian Lotteries Authority will consider notifying coercive fines that run until the illegal gambling offer has been rectified or terminated. “A coercive fine is not a punishment, and the obligation to pay a coercive fine is not depending on guilt, but is triggered when an illegal relationship occurs, and should be set so high that it does not pay financially for the person responsible not to comply with the decision. The purpose is to enforce compliance.” Betsson has until 15 August to submit any objections to the NGA in the form of “written and reasoned feedback”. The NGA ordered similar enforcement action against Kindred Group in 2019.