Legislation

Norway – Norway looking to close loop hole in advertising laws

The Norwegian government has proposed several amendments to the Broadcasting Act aimed at preventing foreign gaming providers from promoting online gambling on television.

With these regulatory measures, the Norwegian media authority could instruct local television distribution partners to prohibit illegal gambling operators from promoting their products in Norway. If the law is approved it would close a legal loophole that allows unlicensed gaming operators to advertise on Norwegian television.

Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto are currently the only gambling providers allowed to advertise on Norwegian television. Norway is one of the few European nations to maintain the monopoly model as the preferred system for gaming services.

Norway’s Minister of Culture and Gender Equality, Abid Q. Raja, said: “For the government, this is a valued decision where the interests of people with gambling problems and their relatives must take precedence over financial considerations.”