Leġiżlazzjoni

Norveġja – L-Awtorità Norveġiża tal-Logħob twissi lil BML Group biex joħroġ mis-suq

Lottstift, the Norwegian Gaming Authority, has told BML Group, who’s brands include Betsson, Betsafe, Nordicbet, Norgesautomaten and CasinoEuro, to cease offering gambling services to players in Norway.

The regulator has said the group is operating without a licence and had been hosting sites utilising Norwegian names and symbols, which had been advertised on Norwegian television. Only the state-owned Norsk Tipping is licensed to offer online casino games.

Lottstift stated: “Although BML Group’s gambling licence is provided by the Maltese authorities, the illegal gaming offer takes effect in Norway by the company offering the games on the internet, inviting players in the Norwegian market to participate, and allowing Norwegians to register as players. The Lottery Act and the Gambling Act also apply to gambling from abroad when the offer is directed at Norway. The Norwegian Lotteries Authority’s work with the payment service ban has also revealed that BML Group Limited is actively seeking to circumvent the Norwegian ban on arranging payment to and from foreign gambling companies.”

“If the illegal relationship does not cease after the decision has been made, the Norwegian Lotteries Authority will consider notifying coercive fines that run until the illegal gambling offer has been rectified or terminated,” it added. “A coercive fine is not a punishment, and the obligation to pay a coercive fine is not depending on guilt, but is triggered when an illegal relationship occurs, and should be set so high that it does not pay financially for the person responsible not to comply with the decision.”