Norway Stops Financial Transactions to Six Malta Gaming Companies

By Simon Wright, Last updated Jul 1, 2023

Norway is the latest territory to flex it’s muscles with regards to her citizens playing at online casinos, with the Times of Malta reporting on Sunday that the Norwegian Gaming Authority has banned payments to six Malta based gaming firms.

In a move which is sure to be not received well by players and operators alike, Norwegian banks are no longer allowed to send funds to the following iGaming operators: Betsson, Co-Gaming Ltd, L&L Europe Players Ltd,  Gaming Innovation Group, Kindred and Dino Gaming Ltd. With Bloomberg reporting that letters were sent out to these operators between November 2018 and February 2019, informing them of this move.

The Norwegian Gaming Authority alleges that the operators who are responsible for the operation of many well known casinos such as 32Red, have been marketing their brands and offering betting and online casino services without permission.

With a spokesman for the authority speaking to the Times of Malta, confirming that the regulator had ordered banks in it’s jurisdiction to block payments to and from accounts identified as being used for  the processing of gambling transactions.

The Times of Malta goes on to state that currently only two such operations are licensed and regulated to market and accept bets within the country.

The Gaming Authority of Norway reports directly to the Norwegian Ministry of Culture and has the following reported aims:

• Ensure that gaming schemes are arranged in a satisfactory manner under public control
• Prevent negative consequences of gaming
• Ensure that profit from games can be allocated to approved ‘good causes’

 

---