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Lotteritilsynet, Norway’s regulator, has approached Norsk Tipping over a potential breach of underage policies, following reports that it allowed minors to transfer money to its platform.
The Norwegian Gambling Authority sent out the letter to the country’s only gaming operator on May 15, asking for further details on the incident with a two-week deadline to provide more information. This action follows a tip from a bank, which indicated that a significant sum of money (100,000 NOK) had been transferred from a minor to Norsk Tipping. Under Norwegian law, individuals must be at least 18 years old to legally place bets on the platform.
Before the letter, the Norwegian Gambling Authority had a meeting with Norsk Tipping on May 13. During this discussion, the authority noted that it does not currently believe that the underage individual had established a formal customer relationship with the operator.
“The information so far indicates that there are customers who lend or share their customer account with persons under the age of 18 and that it is not the case that minors have been able to establish customer relationships with Norsk Tipping,” Lotteritilsynet stated in its release.
Too Early to Determine What Has Happened
This situation raises serious concerns, as allowing minors to share accounts clearly violates Norsk Tipping’s policies and may also breach the Gambling Act and the Money Laundering Act. Tore Bell, the Department Director, advised against drawing premature conclusions at this stage.
He stated, “We will investigate the matter further and have asked Norsk Tipping for more information.” To clarify the circumstances surrounding the underage funds transfer, the authority has put forward eight specific questions to Norsk Tipping.
These inquiries include details about the introduction of payment solutions like Vipps and Apple Pay, as well as the risk assessments conducted for these options. The authority seeks to understand how Norsk Tipping ensures compliance with Section 7 of the Gambling Act, which demands safeguards against the misuse of customer accounts.
Additionally, they want clarification on how these payment methods adhere to the Money Laundering Act, particularly regarding whether the transferred funds belong to the registered customer. Since the beginning of this year, Norsk Tipping has received 21 tips related to similar incidents, prompting the regulator to question whether the operator considered notifying them about these cases and if it has taken any follow-up actions.
With a two-week deadline to respond, Norsk Tipping faces pressure to address these serious allegations as the investigation progresses. If found guilty, the operator might face a formal order or even daily fines until all issues have been addressed. While a revocation of license is possible, it’s unlikely as Norsk Tipping is a state-owned operator and the only regulated online casino in Norway.
Source: iGB
