Norway Targets Unlicensed Gambling Ads Ahead of UEFA Finals
The Norwegian Gambling Authority, Lotteritilsynet, has instructed the seven major media outlets in the country to step up the monitoring of gambling adverts in the coming weeks.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The instructions, conveyed in a letter, aim to guide Norwegian media in their coverage of gambling operators, brand promotions, and ads to ensure compliance with national laws. The move aligns with the regulator’s broader ongoing efforts to reduce unlicensed gambling advertising in the country.
However, the directive was specifically written to prevent the surge in unauthorized gambling ads that may target Norwegian residents during upcoming high-profile events by the end of May, including the Eurovision Song Contest and finals of UEFA’s Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League.
Under Norway’s Advertising Act, media organizations are required to scrutinize all gambling-related content and ads, including editorial mentions, automated promotions, and third-party links.
The authority asked media outlets to strengthen their filters, stating that poorly implemented filters may be regarded as a breach of the Gambling Act. It also notified them about the growing sophistication of programmatic ads capable of evading standard filters.
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The media houses are encouraged to stay compliant by auditing their contracts with advertising partners to ensure they include safeguards against promoting unlicensed gambling sites.
Additionally, the regulator urged the media companies to regularly review their ad-tech filters and algorithms to ensure effective blocking of illegal gambling content.
In the letter, Lotteritilsynet warned that indirect promotion, like linking to sources with affiliate content, is considered illegal in the country. As such, media outlets are also required to thoroughly vet third-party content and external contributors.
The regulator stated that it will monitor the situation closely and expects the media companies to cooperate fully.
Strong Stance Against Unlicensed Gambling
Gambling in Norway is restricted to two state-authorized operators, Norsk Tipping for most gambling games and Norsk Rikstoto for horse racing. Over the years, Lotteritilsynet has consistently worked to pursue unlicensed operators from the market.
Last month, the regulator enforced new blocking orders against 57 unlicensed online gaming sites for operating in the jurisdiction.
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