Norway requested the European Commission in November for authorization to deploy DNS blocking to prevent gaming companies from complying with cease-and-desist orders. The proposal was a new attempt to acquire stronger control over the websites that gamblers in Norway can access, and it came several months after the Norwegian Media Authority (NMA) was given the right to act against unlawful gambling commercials under the Broadcasting Act.
Non-licensed operators are not allowed to sell their services and goods to Norwegians since Norway has a state gaming monopoly. The NMA is now requesting that five of the country’s most well-known television distributors prohibit gambling advertisements from a number of international companies.
The proposal for a ban follows a broader crackdown on gambling advertisements by officials following an inquiry last year that showed serious violations on four Discovery Network channels.
Five TV distributors have been summoned to halt commercials on the Discovery Network.
TV distributors can be asked to restrict or make it more difficult for operators who do not have a licence to advertise their products or services in Norway, according to the Broadcasting Act, which took effect on January 1, 2021. The five biggest TV distributors in Norway, Allente, Telenor, Altibox, Telia, and RiksTV, have been requested to stop showing gambling advertisements on four Discovery network channels: Eurosport Norway, MAX, FEM, and VOX. Betsafe, Unibet, Nordicbet, and Betsson are among the companies that have tailored marketing.
The five distributors have been urged to review their Discovery agreements and ensure that their broadcasts do not contain any gambling advertisements or marketing, which are both illegal in the country.The deadline for submitting a new request is August 15. Failure to comply will result in “severe financial responses” for TV distributors. The NMA made it plain that any financial benefits should not be given to distributors who reject the decision.
Efforts are being pooled to combat foreign operators.
The Norwegian Lotteries Authority is currently in charge of the country’s gaming laws. In order to prevent problem gamblers, the authorities strongly forbids operators who are not licenced from advertising their services. Despite previous efforts to ensure a secure environment for the most vulnerable groups, the NMA alleges that TV viewers are nonetheless exposed to many gambling advertisements from international players operators.
The combination of the rules of the NMA’s Broadcasting Act, the Norwegian Lottery Authority’s payment service ban, and Facebook and Google’s close monitoring is a potent weapon against foreign organisations attempting to penetrate the Norwegian gambling sector online. The Norwegian Lotteries Authority threatened Kindred’s affiliate Trannel in mid-February with coercive fines of $137,000 per day unless it complied.
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