Norway bans payments to Malta gambling firms

The local regulator has banned transactions with six Maltese gambling companies as it claims they were operating illegally.

Norway.- The Norwegian Gaming Authority has stopped transactions with six gambling operators from Malta that were operating illegally within its territory. The regulator ordered banks to block payments involved in gambling transactions.

A Norwegian Gaming Authority spokesman said that the order to banks establishes that they must block payments to and from accounts that are used for processing gambling transactions, Times of Malta reports. This means that Norwegian banks can’t transfer money to accounts held by the six gambling companies.

According to the regulator, the companies were marketing themselves in Norway and offering their online casino and betting services to local players without the watchdog’s permission. The spokesman for the regulator said that they sent letters to companies and the Malta Gaming Authority highlighting the country’s regulations.

The authority has sent warning letters to a number of companies in the last few months, including Betsson, Gaming Innovation Group, Kindred Group and Lucky Dino Gaming.