Norwegian Gambling Authority orders affiliates and influencers to cease illegal gambling marketing

The Norwegian Gambling Authority (NGA) has ordered multiple affiliates to stop marketing illegal gambling sites in the country.

Following an investigation into affiliate firm Schpell and its respective social media channels, the Norwegian regulator established the company was directing Norwegians towards unlicensed operators.

Schpell’s site was found to use Norwegian influencers to promote the unlicensed sites via several streaming sites.

The NGA said the influencers in question were streaming on platforms such as Kick, Twitch and YouTube, showcasing unlicensed operators to their respective audiences.

Schpell was also found to focus much of its marketing towards a Norwegian audience. Under Norwegian gambling law, it is illegal to market unlicensed or illegal sites towards the Norwegian market. 

Marketing is determined to be Norway-facing when it offers Norwegian as a language, uses Norwegian currency or uses Norwegian people in its marketing.

Following this investigation, the regulator has ordered Schpell’s parent company Tiergarten Marketing Ltd, as well as Norwegian companies Baris Entertainment AS and Viken Underholdning AS, to cease the marketing of these sites. 

The NGA said that Baris and Viken that hold partnerships with influencers that Schpell has used in its recent marketing efforts.

These firms have until 20 February 2024 to cease these marketing activities, otherwise the NGA will consider issuing a fine. 

Monica Alisøy Kjelsnes, senior legal adviser at the NGA, said: “The marketing is for money games that have a high risk of creating gambling problems, and it hits a young target group. We are looking at that seriously.

“This is illegal marketing of gambling. We are concerned that they can lead young people into dangerous gambling. There is a reason why it is not allowed to market these games in Norway.”

Following this order, the regulator has also stepped up its efforts to combat the marketing of illegal gambling sites on social media.

The authority referenced the new Money Gambling Act, which has given it further powers to clamp down on this particular type of marketing. 

The powers granted to the regulator by the Norwegian government included the implementation of direct IP and DNS blocking of websites that violate Norwegian gambling law. 

The regulator also referred to the action it took in 2023, where it found between 40 and 50 influencers who had been marketing illegal gambling sites. 

On that investigation, Kjelsnes said: “We saw that many of the biggest influencers have stopped the marketing of illegal gambling. At the same time, there are some who are teetering on the edge of breaking the law.

“We will monitor and evaluate more inspections,” Kjelsnes concluded.