Norway warns Kindred’s Trannel International to cease unlicensed activity
Norway’s gambling regulator has warned Trannel International that it will face fines if it does not immediately stop offering online gambling in the country.
Norway.- Lottstift, Norway’s gambling regulator, has warned Kindred Plc’s Trannel International subsidiary that it will be fined NOK 1.2m (€120,000) per day if it does not immediately withdraw its online gambling offering in the country.
The regulator said it would take its toughest approach with Trannel because of repeat offences.
The regulator said it had based the size of the “coercive fine” on its estimations of Trannel International’s annual earnings, which it put at NOK 437 million (€43m).
General director Atle Hamar said: “When a gambling company that operates illegally in Norway can earn NOK 437m in one year through its illegal activity, we owe it to the Norwegian people to do what we can to stop the illegal activity.”
He added: “We take it seriously that the illegal gambling offer has not yet ended. Therefore, the regulator warns that we will issue a coercive fine if Trannel does not stop offering illegal gambling in Norway.
“Six out of 10 Norwegians do not know that gaming sites such as Unibet, Maria Casino, High Roller and Bingo.com offer their games illegally in Norway. We want to protect those who have problems with gambling and now hope Trannel chooses to comply with the law.”
Trannel’s legal case
Kindred’s subsidiary has previously argued that its has been targeted unfairly by Lottstift, which has sought regional IP blocks and payment blocks and banned Kindred’s apps from appearing in the Apple App Store.
Claiming the regulator had overstepped its powers and breached international law, it took legal action in 2019. However, its arguments have been rejected by Norwegian courts.
Lottstift said: “On April 5 2019, the Norwegian Lotteries Authority made a decision against Trannel with an order to stop offering gambling in Norway without a Norwegian permit. The company appealed to the Ministry of Culture and the Lottery Board but was not upheld by any of the appeal bodies.
“The deadline for complying with the decision expired on March 12 2020, when the appeal case was decided.”
The Borgarting Court of Appeal has supported the legality of Norway’s monopoly system for gambling, under which Norsk Tipping has exclusive rights to offer most forms of gaming.
