Staff Reporter
Norway is one of the few European countries that still applies a state gambling monopoly. The country’s leading authority when it comes to gambling is called the Swedish Lottery and Foundation Authority.
Under the Lotteries and Foundation Inspectorate, there is a state-owned gaming company whose name is Norsk Tipping. They are responsible for online casino games and sports betting.
Furthermore, there is another company of this kind whose name is Norsk Rikstoto. They are responsible for betting on animal racing in Norway.
However, when it comes to online casinos and betting sites, the state’s monopoly has been challenged by foreign players. The Norwegian government has therefore decided to introduce DNS blocking as a way to tackle the situation.
DNS blocking is a method that can be used to block websites and stop people from accessing them. When you as a user try to visit such a page, you are automatically redirected to a so-called landing page.
On the landing page, you can read about why the website you originally intended to visit is blocked. This is exactly what is supposed to happen if you as a Norwegian player try to visit a foreign online casino.
In this article, we will examine this topic in a little more detail. We will do this with an extra focus on Norwegian players who live in Spain.
Will players be forced to avoid foreign casinos?
Since Norwegian players in Spain for obvious reasons do not use Norwegian IP addresses, they will not be subject to the DNS block. On the other hand, there could still be problems if they use Norwegian bank accounts as payment methods.
Several Norwegian banks have started to block both deposits to and withdrawals from foreign casinos. To be able to play at these, players will therefore need to use non-Norwegian bank accounts or other types of payment methods.
However, it is not illegal for Norwegians to play at casinos with foreign licenses. Therefore, if they only manage to resolve the situation with the payment methods, the Norwegian players living in Spain should not be affected by the DNS blocks.
At the same time, it is impossible to know in advance how things will develop. When it comes to Swedish players, for example, it is relatively common that foreign casinos either do not accept them or that they have to settle for game offerings that are severely limited.
How do players choose a suitable online casino?
How it works as a Norwegian player in Spain to choose the right online casino depends, among other things, on what we previously mentioned regarding the payment methods. Specifically, it comes down to whether foreign casinos are an option or for them or not.
In cases where they have access to foreign online casinos, it might be a good idea to explore comparison sites like Svindel.info. It lists several high-quality online casinos that Norwegian players are welcome at.
How hot is the issue of DNS blocking?
Considering the complications the DNS block can result in for all Norwegian players, including those living in Spain, it’s clear that it’s a hot topic of conversation. Without access to casinos that operate from abroad, Norwegian players will have a very limited selection of games.
For many years, the gambling market in Norway has functioned in the same way as the Swedish market did before a new law was introduced. This means that casinos with licenses from Malta and other countries’ gaming authorities have turned to Norwegian players.
As recently as June 2021, for example, it was reported that as much as 66% of gambling in Norway took place on foreign gambling sites. This, in turn, has cost the country around NOK 2 billion per year.
For obvious reasons, this is a system with which the Norwegian authorities are not at all satisfied. For some time now, they have therefore begun to take a tough stance to get foreign players to leave the country’s gaming market.
The Norwegian State v Kindred
The most extreme example of how Norway is getting rid of foreign gambling companies is the long-running conflict between the Norwegian authorities and the gambling giant Kindred. It lasted for more than three years and ended with Kindred, which is behind Unibet, among others, choosing to abandon the Norwegian market.
Something that made this conflict stand out was the harsh rhetoric used. Among other things, the Norwegian government accused Kindred of operating illegally in the country and stealing money from the Norwegian population.
How Norwegians in Spain can handle the situation
If it would be the case that even the Norwegian players living in Spain are blocked from foreign online casinos, there are ways to circumvent the whole thing. DNS blocking is not a watertight method.
One option is to use alternative DNS servers. You can do this by changing your DNS settings, but it doesn’t always work.
Another method you can apply as a player is to play with a VPN. This is a type of software that can change the user’s IP address and thus make it appear that they are located in another country.
However, there are also doubts about this method as many online casinos do not allow the use of VPN software. For example, it could lead to problems with deposits and withdrawals.
Pros and Cons of DNS Blocking
We are now going to list some of the pros and cons of the DNS blocking for the Norwegian players living in Spain:
Pros:
- It is not certain that they will be affected by the block
- The blocking can lead to a safer gambling market as rogue casinos based in other countries will not be able to turn to Norwegian players
Cons:
- It can result in a very limited selection of games
- The whole thing can be seen as a kind of restriction of personal freedom
- Basically, it’s about internet censorship, something associated with totalitarian regimes
- There are many indications that it is an ineffective method that it is possible to circumvent in various ways
How does DNS blocking compare to other regulations?
Compared to many of the other casino regulations used in the industry, DNS blocking feels like both a cumbersome and inefficient method. As an example, the licensing system many countries use appears to be a much smoother and user-friendly alternative.
The fact that the European Gaming and Betting Association has called on Norway to introduce a licensing system says a lot. Considering the limited selection Norway itself has to offer, it is also not the least bit strange that many Norwegian players do everything to be able to access foreign gambling sites.
Furthermore, this is something that Norway loses huge sums of money on in what could have been potential tax revenues. In other words, it feels like no one really benefits from sticking to this system.
That said, we certainly don’t question the fact that gambling addiction is a societal problem that should be taken very seriously. Previously, for example, it has been reported that 1.4% of the Norwegian population suffers from gambling addiction.
How will the markets in both Norway and Spain be affected?
The Spanish iGaming market is likely to be positively affected by the Norwegian DNS blocking. This could very well make Norwegian players based in Spain turn to casinos with Spanish licenses.
We have basically spent the entire text speculating about how the market in Norway will be affected. Therefore, let’s sum it up with a bulleted list:
- The Norwegian market will be severely limited
- It is highly likely that Norwegian players will do everything they can to circumvent the regulations and thus still gain access to foreign gambling sites
Since the players are likely to look abroad, Norway will continue to lose money in what could otherwise have been tax revenue
Concluding Words
Last but not least, we can only hope that Norwegian players in Spain will not be affected by the DNS blocking. Fortunately, most of the indications are that they will not, but they can, for example, turn to Spanish online casinos instead.
As we have previously mentioned, there could possibly be problems with payments if players use Norwegian bank accounts. If that were the case, however, it would be enough to bet on one of the other types of payment methods offered by online casinos.
Otherwise, it is difficult to understand why the Norwegian authorities insist on sticking to the gambling monopoly. Even though we try to stay as neutral as possible, we still can’t ignore the elephant in the room, which is the fact that it feels like no one wins from the current system.
It is only to be hoped that the Norwegian government will make a U-turn and follow several of the other countries’ example by introducing a Norwegian gaming license. This would have made it easier for both Norwegian players in Norway and those in Spain!
