SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Norway’s media platforms and broadcasters have been reminded of their duties to prevent the unlicensed gambling advertising.
Lotteritilsynet (Lottstift), the Gambling Authority of Norway, has written to the country’s seven main media houses, instructing them to tighten surveillance of gambling adverts towards the end of May.
The warning comes as Lottstift anticipates heightened public interest in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest, combined with the final stages of UEFA’s football tournaments (Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League).
The Norwegian government permits gambling only through two authorised operators: Norsk Tipping, for general games, and Norsk Rikstoto, for horse racing.
The letter was issued to support Norwegian media outlets in making informed decisions about their coverage of gambling operators, brand promotions, illegal gambling websites, and programmatic advertising channels.
Under Norway’s Advertising Act, media organisations are required to evaluate all gambling-related content and advertisements, including editorial references, automated promotions, and third-party promotional links.
Lottstift warned media operators that improper implementation of filtering systems to detect marketing by unlicensed operators could constitute a violation of the Gambling Act. It further noted concern over the increasing sophistication of programmatic advertising, which has shown an ability to bypass standard content filters.
To maintain compliance, media have been urged to review contracts with content and advertising partners to ensure provisions prohibiting links to or the promotion of unlicensed gambling operators are included.
Media companies are also expected to carry out regular audits of ad-tech filters and algorithmic tools to ensure that illegal gambling content is effectively blocked.
The regulators emphasised that even indirect promotion — such as linking to background sources that host affiliate material — may still be deemed unlawful under Norwegian legislation.
Media outlets are therefore expected to apply due diligence not only to advertisements but also to third-party content and external contributors.
Following years of legal deliberations, in the summer of 2022, the High Court in Oslo ruled in favour of Lottstift and Medietilsynet, Norway’s Media Authority, enabling them to strengthen enforcement against media platforms promoting unlicensed gambling websites.
This intervention followed international media claims that gambling advertisements were being broadcast to Norwegian audiences via cable and OTT networks accessible in the country, circumventing domestic advertising restrictions.
The Gambling Authority stated that it will continue to monitor the situation and expects full cooperation from media organisations, concluding: “We urge media houses to be especially vigilant against attempts to bypass ad filters, and to assess whether these systems are sufficiently effective at detecting illegal gambling advertisements. Failure to prevent such content may result in sanctions.”
