Norway has passed a law that will make processing of unauthorised online gambling transactions illegal in the country. The "Norwegian UIGEA" will come into effect on June 1, the same day when UIGEA is to be implemented in the United States.


The law states that processing payments to sites that operate without a Norwegian license will amount to "accessory involvement" in unlawful gambling. This will be applied to all financial services.

While this may sound like bad news indeed for Norwegian online poker players, some experts believe the law will not have much effect.

“Various other payments bans have struggled, either because operators have already established their view on taking related business... or because the financial services sector simply refuse to accommodate the authorities' requirement to curb private gambling activity," said gaming law expert Stephen Ketteley to EGR Magazine.

Also Betsson's CEO Pontus Lindwall states that his company does not expect their Norwegian traffic to suffer much because of the law.

Source: EGR Magazine.