Norway plans U.S. style online gambling ban

[Mousey]

Norway plans U.S. style online gambling ban
By Marc Jones
Fri Oct 5, 11:37 AM ET



LONDON (Reuters) - Norway is planning a U.S.-style effective ban on Internet gambling, the country's top legal advisers said.

Rolf Sims, legal adviser to Norway's Ministry of Culture, told an Internet gambling conference in Barcelona this week that the country was drafting laws that mirror the U.S. Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIEGA), which effectively outlawed online gambling by making processing of bet payments illegal.

"It's on the drawing board," Sims said.

"It is like the U.S. model banning transactions but we haven't seen the final rules," Norwegian Gaming Board legal adviser Thomas Helgesen told Reuters.

The Norwegian government is responding to the growing public backlash against ...

[villa10]

There are already decisions from the EU court, in the sense that's not possible to limit the right to gamble provided that the software is offshore.

I think that was the italian case.
Not sure

[nielsenj]

It is correct that the European court in March 2007 prohibited Italy from prosecuting bookmakers based in other European countries. But you have to remember that Norway is NOT part of the European Union and therefore not bound by the EU ruling.

[GrandMaster]

Norway is part of the EEA, and is bound by the same rules regarding the free movement of services.

[jetset]

NORWEGIAN GAMBLING MONOPOLY GEARS UP MARKETING TECHNOLOGY


New digital media system will speed up marketing communications

Norske Tipping AS, the state gambling monopoly in the reportedly anti-gambling Nordic country appears to be gearing up its marketing capability with the installation of a Cisco Digital Media System, a "....comprehensive digital signage solution for approximately 4 000 point-of-sale locations nationwide to deliver timely and targeted marketing communications to customers."

At the recent EiG conference in Barcelona, Norwegian government adviser Rolf Sims stressed the Norwegian government's opposition to gambling, describing as "political suicide" any attempt to legalise online gambling. He went on to confirm that the government was about to introduce a Norwegian-style UIGEA to stop financial transactions with online gambling companies (see previous InfoPowa reports). The Norwegians justify the need for a state monopoly to guard against "problem gambling."

The new Cisco high-definition video solution has contributed to reductions in the annual cost of printed marketing material to retailers and is creating a solid foundation for in-store advertising sales and interactive gaming.

The Cisco Digital Media System was rolled out to Norsk Tipping's nationwide retail network in just six months, helping the company to be one of the first to market in Norway with an in-store digital signage network.

The new solution helps Norsk Tipping offer interactive, multiplayer games to counter the growing competitive threat from online gaming sites. With hourly broadcasts, Norsk Tipping plans to deliver visually attractive, dynamic and targeted advertising.

It can broadcast up-to-date data, such as jackpot information and current odds for Norsk Tipping's sports betting service, in real-time over the network.

Norsk Tipping also uses the Cisco Digital Media System to segment its advertising, targeting its marketing messages based on the retail outlet's focus. For example, Norsk Tipping can target its marketing to different types of customers betting on specific games at specific times of the day.

This segmentation, combined with more compelling in-store advertising, will help drive incremental sales for Norsk Tipping.

The digital signage system is remotely managed from Norsk Tipping's headquarters and requires no on-site technical support in the stores, which significantly reduces operating costs.

"The Cisco Digital Media System helps us to deliver the right communications, at the right time, to the right customer segments to generate incremental sales," said Stein Onsrud, technology advisor at Norsk Tipping.

"Norsk Tipping is an excellent example of how the Cisco network can be the platform to help retailers drive sales through more cost-effective and compelling marketing and advertising," said Thomas Wyatt, general manager of the Digital Media Systems business unit at Cisco.

Stein Onsrud added: "With its flexibility and scalability, the Cisco Digital Media System is helping Norsk Tipping to strengthen its brand, increase sales, make it more attractive for retailers to sell our products and maintain customer confidence."

[vinylweatherman]

Sounds like highly efficient and aggressive advertising, just what is needed to stem problem gambling

State monopolies do not prevent or lessen problem gambling; making it harder, and less attractive, helps stem problem gambling.

Since the problems started with slot machines, I expect these interactive terminals will lead to a similar, if not worse, problem - especially in the long winter months when there is little else to do.

The only way for an EU country to stop gambling is to implement an outright ban, no carve-outs for certain state and domestic operators.

[nielsenj]

Sorry for my misleading answer earlier. As Grandmaster says, Norway is part of the EEA (European Economic Area) and have therefore agreed to implement legislation passed in the EU relating to the four freedoms (free movement of goods, persons, services, and capital). I got Switzerland and Norway mixed up. Unlike the EEA-countries (Norway, Iceland and Liecthenstein) Switzerland chose not to join the EEA Agreement.