Lotteritilsynet, the Norwegian Gaming Authority, has announced that several operators are pulling their gambling services out of the Nordic country following an audit of their operations.
Unibet, Betsson, ComeOn and bet365 were named by Lotteritilsynet in a list of 15 operators that are pulling out of the Norwegian gambling market.
“These are companies that are neither allowed to offer nor market gambling to Norwegians,” noted Henrik Nordal, Deputy Director General of Lotteritilsynet.
“The fact that several of the largest gambling companies that operate illegally in Norway withdraw will prevent gambling problems and contribute to a safer and more responsible gaming offer in the Norwegian market.”
The complete list of those withdrawing from the country includes; Unibet, Mariacasino, High Roller, Bingo, Betsson, Betsafe, Nordicbet, Norgesautomaten, CasinoEuro, ComeOn, bet365, People’s Kingdom, GetLucky, Mobilebet and Mobile Automaton.
Nordal continued: “This shows that the regulation works. It has become much harder for the illegal companies to operate in Norway. We also offer guidance to companies wishing to withdraw from the Norwegian market.”
Lotteritilsynet added that additional audits of several companies operating without a licence in Norway will take place unless they inform the gambling authority that they will be withdrawing from the country’s market.
“Companies that do not withdraw from the Norwegian market risk that their websites will be blocked next year, when we get new regulations in place. This means that Norwegian players will be stopped if they try to access any of these pages.”