Lotterinemnda, the lottery board of Norway, has decided to uphold a ban that was imposed on the Kindred Group, an online gambling operator. The group was accused of targeting gamblers in the region and the board feels this ruling rings true.
As an independent agency, Lotterinemnda rules on various complaints related to the gambling industry. The group recently rejected an appeal by the Kindred Group regarding the ruling by the gambling regulator of Norway, Lotteri-og Stiftelsestilsynet from last year. The regulator ordered the operator to stop providing services to customers in Norway as they are not authorized to provide services.
Based on current gambling law in Norway, the only entities that have licensing are Norsk Rikstoto and Norsk Tipping. They are state-run operators. Norway continues to operate with a monopoly model but that has not stopped international operators from offering services to Norwegian players.
In the ruling from last year, the regulator found that the Kindred Group was providing services in Norway via several brands including Maria Casino and Unibet, among others. They also stated that the websites of the group would be viewed in the Norwegian language and provided offers in Norwegian currency. Support was also available in the native language.
The company was hit yet again by the regulator for advertising their products on television channels in Norway. They also reportedly used social media channels in the country to advertise gamins.
The ban on the Kindred Group was issued at a time when the regulator began a payment blocking order on the sites of the company and on sites that were overseen by five other operators.
In the recent ruling, it was found that the action was correct and that steps must be taken against offshore gambling operators that explicitly target players from Norway. The operator has yet to comment on this most recent ruling.
About the Author
