The Norwegian Gambling Authority (Lotteritilsynet) announced it has decided to again put the daily fines against the Kindred Group on hold after determining the company’s Trannel subsidiary is not illegally targeting online players based in the country. The drama commenced in early September when the gambling watchdog unveiled plans to start imposing daily fines of NOK1.198 million, or approximately £99,919, against the operator for targeting local players without a proper licence. The penalty was supposed to come into effect three weeks after the announcement.
The regulator changed its stance in early October and paused the daily fines after the Group promised to temporarily cease targeting customers from the country as a gesture of goodwill. However, the operator stressed it still disagreed with the stance of the Norwegian regulator and moved to appeal its decision.
Kindred had to fulfil certain conditions in order for the fines to remain on hold during the ongoing appeal. The NGA said it expected the subsidiary Trannel to remove all marketing campaigns in the Norwegian language and cease accepting new registrations from the country. Trannel was also prohibited from advising local players on how to circumvent payment restrictions and had to change the language on its websites from Norwegian to English. Norwegian banners were subsequently removed from the sites. Customer support in Norwegian was discontinued as well.
Kindred Has Made Several Unsuccessful Attempts to Receive a Norwegian Licence
The Malta-based company insisted it was fully legal for local players to access and use gambling websites authorised in the European Union and the European Economic Area. Kindred also stated in a press release that it has lodged several applications for a Norwegian licence over the years but to no avail. The operator said at the time it believed operating licenses should be granted in a transparent and non-discriminatory fashion.
The Norwegian regulatory body changed its stance again in November and decided to restart the penalties after establishing the Group continues to target customers from the country. And now in an unexpected turn of events, the watchdog has once again reversed its stance, deciding to postpone the monetary penalties against Kindred.
A spokesperson of the company attributed this new decision to the fact Kindred had adapted its operations to fit the demands of the regulator. They added that the Norwegian authorities had determined the Group was within its right to welcome local customers passively. The Kindred Group encompasses several major remote gambling brands, including the UKGC-licensed Unibet and Bingo.com.
Norway is one of the few countries in Europe to maintain a state monopoly on the gambling sector. The state-owned Norsk Tipping is the only company authorised to legally provide online casino gambling to Norwegian players. Norsk Rikstoto, also owned by the government, has exclusive rights over parimutuel wagering on horse races.
- Author
Olivia Cole
