Kindred Group vows to continue fight in Norway following latest court rejection

Kindred Group has lost its latest appeal to continue to operate in Norway but has promised to continue to fight its case and pursue a “transparent and objective licensing regime” in the market. Kindred offers its services in Norway via its Malta-licensed subsidiary, Trannel International Limited, which the Norwegian Gambling Authority (NGA) argues is illegal due to its regulations. In the latest twist to the ongoing saga, the Oslo District Court rejected an appeal from Kindred and has aligned its position with the NGA that the Stockholm-listed firm should leave the country. Following the NGA’s original decision in 2019 to order Kindred to withdraw, the operator has continue to offer its services to Norwegian players. The NGA’s original complaint was that Kindred was not complying with EEA law, while the operator argued that by holding a Maltese gambling licence, it could not be barred from offering its services in the country. Kindred had a legal challenge thrown out by the Norwegian Supreme Court’s appeals committee, Oslo Court of Appeal and the Oslo City Court. The Swedish operator has also previously appealed to both the Norwegian Ministry of Culture and the Lottery Board, with both of those cases also being rejected. In the latest appeal rejection, the Oslo District Court had order Kindred to pay the costs of the case to the state via the Ministry of Culture. A Kindred spokesperson told EGR that it would re-appeal the decision. The spokesperson said: “We take note that the Oslo District Court has not accepted our arguments that there is a lack of legal basis for the NGA’s cease and desist order. We continue to dispute and will appeal as we seek to deliver a free, open, competitive and safe gambling environment in Norway. “We continue to believe that a transparent and objective licensing regime is the only way to obtain a well-functioning gambling market that balances consumer entertainment and consumer protection. We will continue to work towards this goal,” the spokesperson added. In February, Kindred was warned it could face a potential NOK437m total coercive fine from the NGA over its failure to leave the market.