Payment services for remote gambling to and from gamblers in Norway.

Proposal on changes to regulations concerning the prohibition of the processing of payments for gambling without a Norwegian license.

The proposal presented concerns treating the processing of payments from persons in Norway to remote gambling operators without a Norwegian license as accessory involvement in gambling activities without a license. This specification of the rules of accessory involvement in the Lottery Act and the Gaming Act and the penalty clause in the Totalisator Act will affect Norwegian credit cards companies, banking institutions and other enterprises assisting in the transfer of payments for remote gambling to and from gamblers in Norway. The current regulation presupposes that the payment can be identified as payment for remote gambling.

In order to increase efficiency of the current regulation the main suggestions for changes are:

• Make it clear that this is a general prohibition, and that companies providing payment services in Norway should discontinue all payment transactions linked to gambling that is unauthorized in Norway.

• Explain that the Norwegian Gaming Authority has the authority to decide to reject payment transactions to and from companies that carry out payment transactions on behalf of Gambling companies and not just payment transactions directly to and from gambling companies.

• The Norwegian Gaming Authority may make a decision to reject payment transactions identified with the name of a gambling company or other entity that conducts payment transactions on behalf of the gambling company.

• New provision for disclosure of banks and other entities providing payment services in Norway to the Norwegian Gaming Authority. The duty of disclosure shall include information on new account numbers relating to the Gaming Authority’s decision and information about transactions the banks have ceased from companies that provide gambling related payments that are not authorized in Norway.

The hearing has been sent by the Norwegian Gaming Authority on behalf of the Ministry of Culture, and hearing statements shall be sent to the Norwegian Gaming Authority by August 15, 2018.