-
Casinos for you
Facebook Strikes Down 36 Illegal Gambling Sites
By Shane Addinall Jun 28, 2020 LegalityFacebook steps up to protect Norwegians from illegal gambling advertising by shutting down 36 pages it found to be in violation of the countries gambling regulations.The Norwegian government has found a friend in Facebook when it comes to stamping out illegal gambling initiatives aimed at Norwegian players.
The European Union holds a very liberal stance on online gambling, with most of the countries in the union accepting online gambling from regulated operators. Norway is, however, not a part of the Union, and holds a much more restrictive stance towards foreign online gambling operators.
Norway enforces a state-monopoly when it comes to online gambling, with Norsk Tipping and Norsk Riksoto being the only enterprises licenced to provide online casino and betting in the region.
Daring and Defiant
Nevertheless, the strict laws banning remote online casinos and betting platforms from offering gambling services to Norwegian residents are often ignored by black market operators, who use a variety of underhanded tricks to bypass the country’s marketing laws.
The operators know that Norway can do very little to punish them for contravening their laws, since most servers sit in less stringent countries, so it rests on Norway to come up with innovative ways of curbing this crime.
Facebook to the Rescue
The Norwegian Lottery Authority reported 36 pages of illegal gambling marketing aimed at their market through Facebook’s platform. Without much ado, Facebook removed all of these illegal pages without delay, proving that it is willing to help gambling authorities enforce local gambling laws.
Not only is marketing targeted at Norwegian players illegal from the country’s perspective, but the marketing rules on Facebook are clear and concise as well. After review, gambling advertising can only be targeted at players over 18 years of age and only in regions where gambling is legal. The social media provider is sold-out on protecting the local laws of each country within its jurisdiction.
Its crackdown on illegal casino marketing to Norway resulted in pages being removed from prominent betting operators, such as Coolbet, Kommunepoker, Vennepoker, Norgesautomaten, and Pokio. These removals may have serious ramifications for social media marketing from these operators in the future.
Forging Partnerships into the Future
The Lottery Authority in Norway has allegedly reported illegal marketing to Facebook for several years and has found the platform very helpful when operators have found to be violating protocols. The Authority is happy with the level of service that they get from the social media giant and see them as an effective tool to remedy the incessant illegal marketing aimed at their country.
Unfortunately, social media is not the only avenue these sites use to gain access to the airwaves in Norway. Many of the operators use TV commercials, websites, and press releases to get there offers into the ether, which is an ongoing battle for the Government of Norway to combat effectively.
Fortunately, new laws will come into effect from the 1st of January 2021 that will tighten broadcasting legislation and make it far more difficult for casinos and online betting sites to advertise their services to Norwegians on television.
Unregulated Waters can Prove Dangerous
While we, at Gambler’s Pick, are all for gambling entertainment, it should always be offered within the safe parameters of the law. As soon as players engage in this form of entertainment in unregulated jurisdictions, it becomes a potentially dangerous environment, as there is no recourse against rogue practices and individuals could suffer massive frustrations and losses associated with this risk.
In This Article
You might also like