Major online gambling brands to exit Norwegian online gambling market

Norway’s gambling regulator has claimed victory in its long-running battle against online gambling operators.

Norway.- The Norwegian gambling regulator Lotteritilsynet says that several online gambling operators will stop targeting its gambling market without licences. It named several companies and also referred to Kindred, which it described as “the company behind Unibet” and with which it has had a long legal battle.

Norway maintains a monopoly system for gambling under which only state-controlled Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto may offer products. However, several major operators have long targeted the market claiming that they are covered by EU law. Lotteritilsynet said that several companies’ websites will be blocked if they do not leave the Norwegian market by 2024. 

It named the operators Betsson, bet365 and ComeOn and also mentioned the brands Mariacasino, Storspiller and Bingo, which, like Unibet, are operated by Kindred’s Trannel subsidiary.

Henrik Nordal, director of Lotteritilsynet, said: “Several of the largest gambling companies that operate illegally in Norway pulling out will prevent gambling problems and contribute to a safer and more responsible gambling offer in the Norwegian market.”

Kindred’s battle with the Norwegian gambling regulator

Kindred, in particular, has had a long battle with the Norwegian gambling regulator. For a time, it defied threats of daily fines while awaiting the result of a legal appeal, but in October last year it said it would cease operating in Norway as a sign of good faith. 

In June, the regulator renewed its call for Kindred to permanently exit the Norwegian market after the Borgarting Court of Appeal upheld its ruling that Trannel’s Unibet, Mariacasino, Storspiller and Bingo.com brands had illegally targeted Norway by offering online gambling services to players in the country without a licence.

The Norwegian regulator said the court’s ruling “solidifies the expectation for Trannel to completely withdraw from the Norwegian market, marking an essential moment in the country’s crackdown on illegal gambling”.