Norway could block foreign gambling advertisement

The government has proposed a legislative amendment to stop foreign gambling advertisement.

Norway.- Lotteri- og stiftelsestilsynet, Norway’s gambling regulator, revealed this week that the government has proposed a legislative amendment that could stop gambling advertising from other countries. This is part of an attempt to improve player protection in Norway.

Gunn Merete Paulsen, director of the watchdog, confirmed that this proposal will have a positive effect as it is aimed at protecting vulnerable players. “Gaming advertising that gets straight towards Norwegian customers is currently intense and this subject has been a problem for a long time,” said the regulator. The proposal for a legislative amendment has a deadline set for June 17, 2019.

Paulsen made reference to a 2014 report in which it was suggested that Norway needed new measures to stop an uncontrolled stream of advertising from foreign sites into Norwegian TVs. Another report made a similar suggestion in 2017.

After these reports, the government decided to take action and therefore it unveiled a proposal that would change broadcasting laws. Current regulations establish that the watchdog’s social mission is to protect vulnerable players by ensuring that lottery and games are offered in safe forms. This has been particularly difficult for authorities in the country because Norwegian players can still see advertising from foreign operators in the country, despite the fact that it is prohibited under local laws.

The amendment includes a DNS alert that will notify players that the websites are illegal and consequently the offering is too. “This will limit the clearance of unregulated players, as we know that many people struggle to know what money games are allowed and which are not. The warning will make a positive contribution to the fact that fewer play foreign money games outside our control,” said Paulsen.