Apple Removes Gambling Apps from Norwegian App Store

Apple has removed 38 gambling apps from the Norwegian App store as part of a clampdown on gambling companies in the country.

The newly trillion-dollar company has been under pressure from the Norwegian Gaming Authority (NGA) to remove the apps, with Frank Hoff Hana, Senior Consultant at the NGA, explaining:

“We made Apple aware of the Norwegian regulations and encouraged Apple to investigate whether the current apps were in violation of their own guidelines.

On June 22, we received a letter from Apple where we were asked to confirm that these gaming companies do not have licenses in Norway.

As such, Apple is following its own regulatory framework, but we are obviously satisfied that they have met our request.”

Crackdown

The NGA has recently been actively targeting gambling operators who aim their products at Norwegian players without carrying the appropriate license to operate in the country.

The letter to Apple is one of many steps the company has taken in order to try and remove the issue from Norway, with the regulator also attempted to block the DNS addresses of illegal foreign operators, and stopping transactions made via third parties by operators.

Cutting off the ability to reach players is one of the most effective ways that the NGA can prevent unlicensed operators targeting Norwegian players, and they have made it clear that their efforts will continue until the problem is eradicated.

Opposition

As is expected in such situations, operators have been vocal in their opposition to the new measures, with Kingdred and Betsson accusing the regulator of attempting to monopolise gambling in the country, with only two Norwegian companies, Norks Rikstoto and Norks Tipping, carrying licenses to operate in the country.

The Nga is building up to a controversial ban on all non-Norwegian operators within the country by next year (2019).