The government of Norway has taken further steps to try and protect the nation’s gambling monopoly with new restrictions on gambling advertising by offshore operators.

The newly approved legislation gives the Norwegian Media Authority powers to combat advertising by unlicensed online gaming operators, both on TV and the internet.

The new powers allow the Media Authority to stop unlicensed gambling advertising from being broadcast into Norway by foreign satellite TV channels and impose a requirement on telecoms providers to display an illegal gambling warning message to Norwegian consumers who attempt to access offshore websites.

“I am very pleased that parliament has approved the Government’s proposal to provide the Media Authority with new tools to stop advertising for gambling that is not authorized in Norway,” said the Minister of Culture and Gender Equality Abid Q. Raja.

“So far we have not had the necessary tools to enforce the advertising ban on foreign players. But with this provision, the Media Authority is empowered to impose a duty on internet owners and distributors to prevent access to advertising for illegal gambling.”

Under Norwegian law, most forms of gambling are offered by monopoly operator Norsk Tipping, with the exception of horse race betting, which is a monopoly held by Rikstoto. Yet despite their illegality, offshore gambling sites continue to be popular among Norwegian consumers.

The Norwegian government says that the new advertising restrictions will help to better protect problem gamblers.

Gaming Intelligence