Norsk Tipping, Norway’s state-owned gambling operator, will change its TV marketing strategy. The company announced that it will take high-risk people in mind and adjust its advertisement accordingly.
Norsk Tipping Vows to Do Better
Norsk Tipping plans to reduce adverts that promote some of its more aggressive games. This includes both TV ads and marketing materials at locations where high-risk gamblers go. As a result, Norwegian bettors will not be as exposed to content that advertises highly-volatile titles.
As one of the only two gambling brands in Norway, Norsk Tipping recognizes its responsibility to promote healthier gambling. The aforementioned decision is Norsk Tipping’s way to be more socially responsible and reduce gambling harm in the country.
Tonje Sagstuen, director of communications at Norsk Tipping, spoke on the matter. She said that it is a matter of time before her company figures things out and adopts a more responsible approach to marketing. The first step to that end is to reduce the visibility of addictive high-volatility games and protect problem gamblers from such content.
Norsk Tipping underwent change of leadership at the beginning of 2022. In January, the company’s former CEO, Åsne Havenelid, resigned from her position. Norsk Tipping later named Thor Gjermund as Havenelid’s successor.
Norway Maintains a Strict Stance on Gambling Content
Norway is known as one of Europe’s strictest gambling markets. The country is highly selective with the gambling content it allows and is committed to protecting its vulnerable citizens from aggressive gaming content.
As a result, Norway is one of the strictest jurisdictions when it comes to unlicensed gambling. The country’s authorities always try to monitor what content is available and prevent offshore companies from offering their products in the country. To that end, year ago, Norway submitted a request to the European Commission, asking it to allow Norwegian authorities to use DNS blocking on unlicensed sites.
However, despite its best efforts Norway continues to encounter trouble with unlicensed operators. One of the worst cases was last year when the authorities found out that many TV channels promote offshore operators. Authorities eventually asked TV distributors to remove the problematic content, which, according to a recent investigation, they did.
Unfortunately, some of the TV channels claimed that this decision violates their rights and filed a lawsuit. While this matter remains unsettled, Norway continues to be adamant when it comes to the ban on unlicensed gambling advertisements.
Mari Velsand, director of Medietilsynet, insisted that all broadcasters should remove any unlicensed content by August 15, as per Norway’s Broadcasting Act. Velsand pointed out that such adverts are one of the main reasons why problem gambling continues to trouble Norway.