Norway to ban online offshore gambling ads from 2021
Parliament gives green light to new measures designed to reduce problem gambling rates
The Norwegian parliament (Stortinget) has greenlit a legislative amendment to prevent offshore gambling operators from advertising online in Norway from 2021.
Under the approved legislation, the Norwegian Media Authority (NMA) will be given greater power to order Norwegian internet service providers to exclude marketing material from offshore operators.
Norwegian Minister of Culture and Gender Equality Abid Q Raja welcomed the parliamentary approval, saying it would reduce the number of problem gamblers in Norway.
“So far we have not had the necessary tools to enforce the advertising ban on foreign players. But with this provision, the Media Authority is empowered to impose a duty on internet owners and distributors to prevent access to advertising for illegal gambling,” said Raja.
The decision comes after the publication of a Norwegian Gambling Authority (NGA) survey which claimed that problem gambling rates were being increased by higher proportions of operator advertising.
The NGA has historically pursued a tough line against international operators and payments providers, ordering Kindred Group to leave the Norwegian market earlier this month.
However Kindred has challenged whether the regulator can ban it from accessing the Norwegian market due to the protection of EU law.
Earlier in April, the Norwegian parliament also approved an amendment to the Norwegian Broadcasting Act enabling the NMA to order Norwegian broadcasters to exclude TV adverts for offshore gambling operators.
A consultation on both proposals was first launched in 2019 as part of wider measures tackling unlicensed offshore gambling in Norway. Both measures will now come into force in January 2021.
NMA director Mari Velsand welcomed the new powers being given to the body, revealing it would consider the best method of enforcement before the law comes into force.