{"id":4603,"date":"2021-07-09T10:32:40","date_gmt":"2021-07-09T10:32:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.top10pokersites.net\/news\/?p=4603"},"modified":"2021-07-09T10:32:40","modified_gmt":"2021-07-09T10:32:40","slug":"norway-orders-betsson-to-withdraw-online-poker-offering-immediately","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.top10pokersites.net\/news\/norway-orders-betsson-to-withdraw-online-poker-offering-immediately","title":{"rendered":"Norway Orders Betsson To Withdraw Online Poker Offering Immediately"},"content":{"rendered":"
Online poker site Betsson<\/strong> has been ordered to terminate its online poker and gaming operations in Norway<\/a>. <\/p>\n Its parent company, the BLM Group Ltd<\/strong> received a letter from the country\u2019s gaming regulator Lottstift<\/a> earlier this week, ordering the company to stop offering online gaming services to Norwegians as it violates the country\u2019s gambling laws. <\/p>\n Offshore gaming sites are generally prohibited in Norway, with only the state-owned casino Norsk Tipping<\/strong>, located in Hamar, authorized to offer online gaming. <\/p>\n The operations of such gambling monopolies are allegedly in breach of EU free-trade laws, and this claim allowed many online operators to continue offering services to local players. <\/p>\n But the country has intensified its campaign against illegal sites, with Betsson and its subsidiaries becoming the latest casualties of the crackdown.<\/p>\n The letter from Lottstift states that while BLM Group is duly licensed by the Maltese authorities, it is not allowed to offer its online gaming services in Norway in line with the country\u2019s own laws regarding offshore sites<\/a>. <\/p>\n Betsson and other associated sites including Betsafe, CasinoEuro, Norgesautomaten and Nordicbet<\/strong> have three weeks to pull out of the country, otherwise they will face \u201ccoercive fines<\/em>\u201c. Such fines will not be imposed as a punishment; rather, its purpose is to enforce compliance, Lottstift said. <\/p>\n BLM Group and its affected subsidiaries have yet to release an official statement on the matter. As of July 7, both Betsson and Betsafe could still be accessed using a Norwegian IP address. It\u2019s difficult to assume that BLM Group is being uncooperative with Norwegian authorities. The company might actually be preparing to leave the country, but might still be trying to sort things out for its Norwegian player base. <\/p>\n The shutdown order arises from alleged marketing campaigns carried out by the BLM Group online and on television which the gaming regulator said were specifically aimed at Norwegian customers. Lottstift accused the company of utilizing Norwegian symbols and adopting clever tricks to process payments in the country. <\/p>\nBetsson\u2019s Still Offering Online Poker<\/h2>\n