Norwegian gambling regulator Lotteri- og Stiftelsestilsynet has reappointed Gunn Merete Paulsen as its Director General, as pressure increases on the government to further restrict remote online gambling services.
Paulsen retakes leadership of the regulator, replacing former incumbent Atle Hamar who has been repositioned as Norway’s Environment Secretary. A former PWC executive, Paulsen had served as Deputy Director General of Lotteri- og stiftelsestilsynet from 2011-2015.
At present, Norwegian gambling policy is facing an extensive shake-up demanded by a coalition of political parties which has secured a mandate to implement severe restrictions on foreign online gambling services targeting national consumers.
Last April, the joint online gambling mandate developed by the coalition of Norway’s Labour, Christian Peoples, Socialist Left and Centrist Parties’ was approved by Storting (Norway’s legislative assembly).
Critical of the government’s stance on unlicensed remote gambling operators being able to service Norwegian consumers, the coalition has put forward severe restrictions on banking transactions, advertising services, stiffer penalties and IP blocks.
The supporting parties have detailed that the provisions aim to tighten Norway’s gambling framework, whilst further supporting state-owned gambling operator Norsk Tipping’s charitable contributions.
Furthermore, management of Norway’s Sovereign Wealth Fund has been criticised for investing in foreign online gambling operators, a move deemed to have undermined Norsk Tipping’s position as a state-owned charitable enterprise.
This Tuesday Norway’s parliament referred its pending industry changes to the European Commission, seeking approval to implement the restrictions on European licensed operators.
As a member of the European Economic Area (EEA), Norway will have to adhere to European Union legislation on digital services.
However, in December 2017 the European Union announced that it would no longer allow its legal courts to adjudicate online gambling disputes within member states.
Following the EC’s pending review, Norwegian policy stakeholders believe that the new restrictions will be implemented by January 2019.
Showing posts with label Norway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Norway. Show all posts
June 21, 2018
July 05, 2015
Playtech win deal to supply Norsk Tipping
Playtech have signed an agreement to supply locally adapted content to gaming operator Norsk Tipping.
The deal which will supply game content to over 4,300 interactive gaming terminals will start from August this year with the first delivery of the content of retail gaming specifically for the Norwegian Belago (bingo halls) and Multix (retail) sectors.
The company, under Playtech subsidiary Videobet Interactive Sweden, is one of three suppliers selected to provide new content for all Norsk Tipping interactive gaming terminals. The duration is for an initial two-year period that includes an option for two further one-year extensions.
Shimon Akad, chief operating officer at Playtech, said: “We have an excellent relationship with Norsk Tipping and this news only serves to reinforce this. We’re delighted both with the outcome of the procurement process and scoring highest among our competitors.”
He added: “The content agreement is in line with our regulated markets strategy and strengthens our market share in Norway alongside our existing software, systems and hardware provision.”
Lene Finstad, executive vice president of product and brands at Norsk Tipping, said: “We are excited to have Playtech as one of our three partners for the delivery of new interactive terminal games. In its tender the company demonstrated a deep understanding and a highly attractive games strategy for the Belago and Multix markets, and we look forward to bringing a wide range of new content to these markets to further develop them in a responsible, yet attractive way.”
The deal which will supply game content to over 4,300 interactive gaming terminals will start from August this year with the first delivery of the content of retail gaming specifically for the Norwegian Belago (bingo halls) and Multix (retail) sectors.
The company, under Playtech subsidiary Videobet Interactive Sweden, is one of three suppliers selected to provide new content for all Norsk Tipping interactive gaming terminals. The duration is for an initial two-year period that includes an option for two further one-year extensions.
Shimon Akad, chief operating officer at Playtech, said: “We have an excellent relationship with Norsk Tipping and this news only serves to reinforce this. We’re delighted both with the outcome of the procurement process and scoring highest among our competitors.”
He added: “The content agreement is in line with our regulated markets strategy and strengthens our market share in Norway alongside our existing software, systems and hardware provision.”
Lene Finstad, executive vice president of product and brands at Norsk Tipping, said: “We are excited to have Playtech as one of our three partners for the delivery of new interactive terminal games. In its tender the company demonstrated a deep understanding and a highly attractive games strategy for the Belago and Multix markets, and we look forward to bringing a wide range of new content to these markets to further develop them in a responsible, yet attractive way.”
April 29, 2015
Three players jailed for match-fixing in Norway
Three Norwegian third division players were among five men jailed on Wednesday after they were found guilty of fraud and corruption in the country's first match-fixing trial.
The trio -- Drin Shala and Formose Pape Mendy of Follo and Alban Shipshani of Asker -- were charged with accepting money to fix results. Two other players were acquitted by Oslo's District Court.
After a three-week trial in which the court heard secret recordings of telephone conversations and details of illicit meetings in Sweden where offers were made to fix results, Shala and Shipsani were handed prison sentences of eight months each, with Mendy receiving six months.
All three players have said they will appeal the verdicts.
"This judgement sends out an important signal that you do not fix matches in Norway unpunished," Norwegian FA (NFF) general secretary Kjetil Siem said in a statement.
"We are pleased that the police have taken the matter very seriously, while I commend the clubs, with Follo FK leading the way, for the way they have handled this difficult case."
The charges related to games played by the Asker and Follo clubs in the third tier of Norwegian football in 2012.
In one of the games that came under scrutiny, Follo had led 3-0 against Ostsiden only to lose 4-3. That shock result caused Follo to report their suspicions of match-fixing to the Norwegian FA, and a police investigation was launched.
In another game Asker were hammered 7-1 by Frigg, and the Norwegian FA also took the unprecedented step of postponing a game between Ullensaker/Kisa and HamKam amid concerns that the match had been fixed.
The trio -- Drin Shala and Formose Pape Mendy of Follo and Alban Shipshani of Asker -- were charged with accepting money to fix results. Two other players were acquitted by Oslo's District Court.
After a three-week trial in which the court heard secret recordings of telephone conversations and details of illicit meetings in Sweden where offers were made to fix results, Shala and Shipsani were handed prison sentences of eight months each, with Mendy receiving six months.
All three players have said they will appeal the verdicts.
"This judgement sends out an important signal that you do not fix matches in Norway unpunished," Norwegian FA (NFF) general secretary Kjetil Siem said in a statement.
"We are pleased that the police have taken the matter very seriously, while I commend the clubs, with Follo FK leading the way, for the way they have handled this difficult case."
The charges related to games played by the Asker and Follo clubs in the third tier of Norwegian football in 2012.
In one of the games that came under scrutiny, Follo had led 3-0 against Ostsiden only to lose 4-3. That shock result caused Follo to report their suspicions of match-fixing to the Norwegian FA, and a police investigation was launched.
In another game Asker were hammered 7-1 by Frigg, and the Norwegian FA also took the unprecedented step of postponing a game between Ullensaker/Kisa and HamKam amid concerns that the match had been fixed.
February 22, 2010
Norway cracks down on online gambling
An upcoming change to Norwegian gambling laws designed to crack down on illegal internet gambling will come into effect in a few months. The new law is called the Payment Act. It has already been approved by lawmakers, but won’t be enforced until June 01. In a nutshell, the new law attempts to crack down on illegal online gambling by punishing local financial institutions that process transactions between Norwegian accounts and unlicensed internet gaming sites.
Punishment will come when a bank or other financial provider assists in money transfers to and from certain online gambling sites in Norway. The ban will only affect locally-operated banks and payment processors since Norwegian laws do not apply across borders. The Payment Act is aimed primarily at unlicensed internet gambling sites that are hosted in other countries, but the new law will also help crack down on local sites that are operating illegally.
In many respects, this new law is similar to the UIGEA in the United States, which also aims to tackle the problem of unauthorized internet gambling by blocking financial transactions. Coincidentally, the UIGEA is scheduled to become active on the same day as Norway’s Payment Act.
Stephen Ketteley of Norway’s Berwin Leighton Paisner law firm is not sure how effective the ban will be. “Various other payments bans have struggled,” says Ketteley, “because the financial services sector simply refuses to accommodate the authorities' requirement to curb private gambling activity.”
Gambling operators are not concerned either. Betsson chief executive Pontus Lindwall says, “Although it’s not 100% clear what will be hit and when, I think it’s only a minor part of payments that will be hit. There will still be ways for clients to pay.”
Internet gambling in Norway will persevere, especially since the new law only targets financial institutions, not players.
Punishment will come when a bank or other financial provider assists in money transfers to and from certain online gambling sites in Norway. The ban will only affect locally-operated banks and payment processors since Norwegian laws do not apply across borders. The Payment Act is aimed primarily at unlicensed internet gambling sites that are hosted in other countries, but the new law will also help crack down on local sites that are operating illegally.
In many respects, this new law is similar to the UIGEA in the United States, which also aims to tackle the problem of unauthorized internet gambling by blocking financial transactions. Coincidentally, the UIGEA is scheduled to become active on the same day as Norway’s Payment Act.
Stephen Ketteley of Norway’s Berwin Leighton Paisner law firm is not sure how effective the ban will be. “Various other payments bans have struggled,” says Ketteley, “because the financial services sector simply refuses to accommodate the authorities' requirement to curb private gambling activity.”
Gambling operators are not concerned either. Betsson chief executive Pontus Lindwall says, “Although it’s not 100% clear what will be hit and when, I think it’s only a minor part of payments that will be hit. There will still be ways for clients to pay.”
Internet gambling in Norway will persevere, especially since the new law only targets financial institutions, not players.
February 19, 2010
Norway online gambling payments ban signed into law
A ban on the processing of any unauthorised online gambling transactions in Norway has been passed into law.
Norway’s Payment Act, which orders the clampdown, has received royal assent, meaning that is therefore now fully adopted legislation.
The Act establishes that processing payments for remote gambling where the gambling is being conducted without a Norwegian licence will amount to “accessory involvement” in unlawful gambling.
This offence will apply to any financial services provider assisting in the transfer of payments from players in Norway, and will come into effect on 1 June – the same day that the US Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) will come into effect, which always prohibits financial services providers from processing gambling transactions, and has recently led to crackdown on US egaming payments by US credit card giants Mastercard and Visa.
However Stephen Ketteley, a partner in the gaming law practice at law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner, played down the significance of the law.
Ketteley said: “Whilst this development, which has been a long time coming, will cause banks, processors and the like to re-assess any activities that could be caught by the ban, it will be interesting to see if it will have an appreciable effect on operators' Norwegian businesses.
“Various other payments bans have struggled, either because operators have already established their view on taking related business - and a payments ban won't change that - or because the financial services sector simply refuse to accommodate the authorities' requirement to curb private gambling activity.”
Ketteley’s view echoes that of operators including Sweden’s Betsson, which has a large Norwegian customer base but whose chief executive Pontus Lindwall, recently said that Betsson does not expect the Norwegian payments ban to affect its business
Norway’s Payment Act, which orders the clampdown, has received royal assent, meaning that is therefore now fully adopted legislation.
The Act establishes that processing payments for remote gambling where the gambling is being conducted without a Norwegian licence will amount to “accessory involvement” in unlawful gambling.
This offence will apply to any financial services provider assisting in the transfer of payments from players in Norway, and will come into effect on 1 June – the same day that the US Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) will come into effect, which always prohibits financial services providers from processing gambling transactions, and has recently led to crackdown on US egaming payments by US credit card giants Mastercard and Visa.
However Stephen Ketteley, a partner in the gaming law practice at law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner, played down the significance of the law.
Ketteley said: “Whilst this development, which has been a long time coming, will cause banks, processors and the like to re-assess any activities that could be caught by the ban, it will be interesting to see if it will have an appreciable effect on operators' Norwegian businesses.
“Various other payments bans have struggled, either because operators have already established their view on taking related business - and a payments ban won't change that - or because the financial services sector simply refuse to accommodate the authorities' requirement to curb private gambling activity.”
Ketteley’s view echoes that of operators including Sweden’s Betsson, which has a large Norwegian customer base but whose chief executive Pontus Lindwall, recently said that Betsson does not expect the Norwegian payments ban to affect its business
November 15, 2008
Ladbrokes Goes Back to Court to Fight Norwegian Gaming Monopoly
Ladbrokes has said it will continue its fight to legally provide sports betting services in Norway as it launched an appeal against the rejection of its Norwegian sports betting licence application. The appeal comes after the Oslo City Court ruled last month that Ladbrokes was not allowed to offer its gambling services in competition with the Norwegian monopoly.
In 2004 Ladbrokes applied unsuccessfully for a licence to offer gambling services in Norway. The refusal to grant it a licence led Ladbrokes to initiate legal proceedings against Norway, claiming that it breached the Rome treaty, EC directives and the EFTA agreement.
In October the District Court of Oslo ruled against Ladbrokes and found the Norwegian law on gambling to be fully compliant with the EFTA agreement and European obligations. Ladbrokes was ordered to pay the Norwegian State's legal costs of NOK1.1 million.
John O'Reilly, Ladbrokes' Managing Director, Remote Betting and Gaming said: “We are appealing the judgement because the court's assessment of the evidence doesn't relate directly to our case. Vital aspects in the EFTA-law court judgment of May 2007 have not been taken into consideration, and the judgment is solely built on the national “slot machine case” of March 2007 which is not relevant to our application.
"The monopoly laws in Norway conflict with the EU Treaty, particularly with regard to the principles of freedom of establishment and the free movement of services. We continue to challenge for our right to be regulated in Norway and to provide free and fair competition to the monopoly."
Jan Magne Juuhl-Langseth, the counsel for Ladbrokes in Norway, added: “Ladbrokes have decided to appeal, particularly because the City Court has not assessed the Norwegian monopoly in the light of the guidance given previously by the EFTA-court in Luxembourg.”
“Just because a monopoly is considered legitimate by the Norwegian state, doesn’t make it right. We are looking forward to see our case being tested in the Court of Appeal," said Lasse Dilschmann CEO of Ladbrokes Nordics.
In 2004 Ladbrokes applied unsuccessfully for a licence to offer gambling services in Norway. The refusal to grant it a licence led Ladbrokes to initiate legal proceedings against Norway, claiming that it breached the Rome treaty, EC directives and the EFTA agreement.
In October the District Court of Oslo ruled against Ladbrokes and found the Norwegian law on gambling to be fully compliant with the EFTA agreement and European obligations. Ladbrokes was ordered to pay the Norwegian State's legal costs of NOK1.1 million.
John O'Reilly, Ladbrokes' Managing Director, Remote Betting and Gaming said: “We are appealing the judgement because the court's assessment of the evidence doesn't relate directly to our case. Vital aspects in the EFTA-law court judgment of May 2007 have not been taken into consideration, and the judgment is solely built on the national “slot machine case” of March 2007 which is not relevant to our application.
"The monopoly laws in Norway conflict with the EU Treaty, particularly with regard to the principles of freedom of establishment and the free movement of services. We continue to challenge for our right to be regulated in Norway and to provide free and fair competition to the monopoly."
Jan Magne Juuhl-Langseth, the counsel for Ladbrokes in Norway, added: “Ladbrokes have decided to appeal, particularly because the City Court has not assessed the Norwegian monopoly in the light of the guidance given previously by the EFTA-court in Luxembourg.”
“Just because a monopoly is considered legitimate by the Norwegian state, doesn’t make it right. We are looking forward to see our case being tested in the Court of Appeal," said Lasse Dilschmann CEO of Ladbrokes Nordics.
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