Norway's gaming regulator Lotteritilsynet stated this week that they're going to begin fining gaming operator Kindred on a daily basis for operating in the country in defiance of the monopoly that's in place.
Lotteritilsynet said that they're going to fine Kindred subsidiary Trannel NOK1.198 million per day that the company is active in Norway, with the fines to start accruing in three weeks' time. Trannel runs Unibet, Maria Casino, Storspiller, and Bingo all within Norway. The company claims that Norway's monopoly flies in the face of European law, but has subsequently lost court cases challenging the issue.
Regarding the situation, Lotteritilsynet director Henrik Nordal said, "When a gaming company that operates illegally in Norway can earn NOK437m from its illegal activity in the course of a year, we owe it to the Norwegian people and those who struggle with gambling problems to do what we can to stop the illegal business.
"Surveys show that six out of ten Norwegians do not know Unibet, Mariacasino, Storspiller and Bingo are illegal in Norway. You can lose much more money on these games than you can on similar legal games in Norway.
"One of our most important social missions is to protect those who have gambling problems or who are at risk of developing gambling problems. We expect Trannel to take social responsibility and withdraw from the Norwegian market."
Norway has been busy changing the rules and regulations of gambling within the country. The country's gaming monopoly Norsk Tipping announced that they'll not be advertising on TV for their sportsbetting service, while simultaneously reducing its marketing presence.
Casino Listings News is following this story ad will update readers as appropriate.
Comments
Man that's gonna be a massive fine. Kindred has shown balls by challenging the law, but will they stick it out once they start facing fines?
Oh wow, I didn't know that it was illegal for them to operate there. Daily fines definitely don't sound fun. Why don't they leave the market if there's such risk?
They think its illegal for Norway to enforce it. They're pushing the case, and it looks like Norway is calling their bluff finally.