Norway Set to Block Unlicensed Online Gambling Websites

The government in Norway has introduced legislation that will see unlicensed online gambling websites prohibited from operating in the local market.

“We do this primarily to prevent and limit gambling problems and to look after vulnerable players and their relatives. If the foreign gambling companies had followed Norwegian law, this would not have been imposed on the internet providers. Therefore, we have to regulate this by targeting actors over whom we have jurisdiction.”

Moves to Oust Illegal Gambling Operators Gather Pace

In April of this year, Norway’s gambling regulator announced that was granted powers to block domain name servers of online casinos that are unlicensed to operate in the country.

At that time, the regulator stated that it had started plans to launch a major blocking campaign in 2024 that would target unlicensed gambling websites that allow players from Norway to access their products and services.

In September, the regulator informed nine banks that it will begin a review to ensure that the ban on interacting with illegal gambling companies is being enforced.

Last week online poker site PokerStars announced its exit from Norway, following in the footsteps of other industry players such as bet365, Kindred, ComeOn, and Betsson.

Thomas Nielsen

Gambling industry journalist with a background in online poker and trading. Covering the regulated U.S Sports industry and the exciting world of online poker.