Norway Casino Ban Unlikely To Be Repeated In Europe

No repeat of Norwegian government's online casino ban, says expert

The Norwegian government's decision to outlaw online casinos and other internet gambling services will not be copied by other European nations, it has been claimed.

Clive Hawkswood, chief executive of the Remote Gambling Association, said that European Union (EU) countries are likely to face opposition from the European Commission if they attempt to ban gaming websites.

He explained that the commission would view any effort to ban online gaming by other EU nations as an "unfair trade barrier".

In a piece of legislation similar to the law passed in the US in 2006, the authorities in Norway have made it illegal for citizens to deposit money with online casino operators.

Mr Hawkswood commented: "Under European law … there are circumstances in which you can put case barriers of this kind but, to use it to stop companies that are licensed in other EU member states, there would be almost no chance of persuading the European Commission."

The Commission recently requested information from the governments of Austria, France and Italy on how national legislation may be restricting the provision of gaming services.

In 2006, it asked for similar information from Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden.