Norway Blocking Online Gambling?

December 15, 2008

The European Union is not happy with Norway these days. They are investigating the country for trying to block online gambling from outside their country. Oslo has recently taken steps to keep an online gambling monopoly within their country, and the EU is less than pleased by it.

Just last week, the Norwegian parliament passed legislation that banned financial transactions between their residents and outside online gambling sites. The law is very similar to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act that the United States passed in 2006, and the online gambling ban is expected to be enforced by the end of next year.

This means that online gambling will only be allowed in the country, with their online gambling services such as the national lottery. No other sites will be allowed. However, Norway is not a member of the European Union, so they don�t really have to answer to them. They are obviously protecting their state run gambling monopoly Norske Tipping, but that is their business to do so.

There have been other countries that are members of the EU that have been forced to open their doors to the online gambling of other countries, but they were members � Norway is not. Their banking institutions have also said that enforcing the online gambling ban is going to be tough for them.

The Remote Gaming Association had lodged a formal complaint against the country to the European Surveillance Agency, before the anti online gambling bill was passed. However, parliament passed the bill anyway.






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