This comes as part of a broader crackdown on gambling advertisements in the Scandinavian country, following an inquiry last year that revealed "massive and serious" violations on Discovery Network stations FEM, MAX, VOX, and Eurosport Norway.
Telenor, Telia, Altibox, RiksTV, and Allente have all been advised to utilise their agreements with Discovery to guarantee that "television broadcasts do not contain marketing for gambling, which is prohibited in Norway."
The deadline is August 15, and failing to do so would result in "significant financial reactions." According to the Media Authority, "it should not pay to oppose the order."
Norway's gambling law is managed by the Norwegian Lotteries Authority, which has a state monopoly on gambling in the Nordic nation.
Advertising from unregistered operators is forbidden under this rule, which is motivated by "the desire to protect people with gambling problems."
Nonetheless, according to the Norwegian Media Authority, the country has witnessed "large amounts of gambling advertising" on TV, particularly from "foreign players."
However, the Media Authority now has the authority to require TV distributors to ban or make it impossible for unlicensed gambling enterprises to sell their products or services in Norway, according to a January 2021 revision to the country's Broadcasting Act.
"Overall, the Norwegian Media Authority's enforcement of the provisions of the Broadcasting Act, the Lottery Authority's effective enforcement of the payment service ban and close follow-up against platforms such as Google and Facebook, make foreign companies' access to the Norwegian market increasingly difficult," Mari Velsand, Director of the Norwegian Media Authority, said in a
"It is a desired development, which society benefits from - and most of all the vulnerable among us."
