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As online gambling reaches immense height and popularity worldwide there are a lot of countries that are implementing restrictions on various casinos and bookmakers. Scandinavia can be called one of such regions. Recently, Norway has decided to block several gambling sites that oppose the general law existing in the country.
The Former Minister of Culture and Sports Abid Raja sent a shot to International gambling companies such as Betsson, Unibet and ComeOn. His proposal that is aimed at blocking international betting sites is likely to get support in Parliament.
According to Abid Raja, these websites try anything to pass the law and offer illegal services to customers. Blocking will be an opportunity to restrict them.
What is a Problem?
Gambling laws in Norway are complicated and there is a lot of misunderstanding when we talk about them. Technically, online gambling in Norway is illegal but a lot of customers still find a way to avoid restrictions and access different betting sites as well as casinos. At the same time, it creates major competition for Norwegian websites as well. So, blocking unregulated authorities could help to manage the gambling industry better in the nearest future, and the new bookmakers, or as the Norwegians prefer to call them – nye bookmakere 2022, would have the chance to attract more customers at the local level and offer services that are totally in compliance with the existing laws.
It is generally expected that the decision will have support from the Parliament. Norway has a monopoly on gambling sites and it is connected to the thing that we have mentioned above. Blocking international betting sites will help local online bookmakers a lot.
In addition, Raja also added that this decision will curb addiction to gambling. The government will act as a protector for those who want to stop playing. However, citizens of Norway still find ways to circumvent the restrictions and access different websites.
A Problem of Freedom of Expression
Another problem that arises when we talk about blocking the following websites is freedom of expression. The blocking of these websites will block their right to offer services to customers but as Raja noted, this is the lesser of two evils and in that regard, Norway has to make a choice by blocking these betting sites.
What Did Betting Companies Say?
Apparently, there was no response from international gambling sites. They refused to make any comments. There are also people who oppose introducing these strict laws, because of the fact that a lot of Norwegians use international gambling services and. If the blockage is approved it will only react negatively to the overall situation.
Online Gambling in Norway
Norwegian legislation does not introduce a distinction between online and offline gambling. The country’s gambling monopolies – Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto – have the right to provide services not only on land but also using mobile devices or the Internet. Since this package of services on the territory of the state is exclusive, international gambling operators are prohibited from offering their services.
The Norsk Tipping platform features various types of gambling, including casino games such as roulette, poker and blackjack. In addition, users can place sports bets, purchase a lottery ticket or scratch card.
The first online casino created by Norsk Tipping appeared in 2014 and is called Kong Kasino. It is the only legitimate online gambling platform. The purpose of its creation was that the authorities tried to stop the massive outflow of users to illegal casinos, which the regulators did not have time to block.
However, players who often engage in illegal gambling immediately noticed significant differences in the work of foreign online platforms and Kong Kasino. Below are some of them. Unlike online casinos running on servers around the world, Kong Kasino has opening hours. The working hours are set from 7:00 to 3:00. Traditional online gambling platforms provide users with a wide variety of games, while Kong Kasino has a very meager portfolio. The simulators presented on the site are the development of Norsk Tipping and are somewhat different from the usual slots. Kong Kasino does not offer welcome or any other type of bonus promotion. The size of the bet on one winning line is limited.
