Norwegian gaming regulator Lotteri-og stiftelsestilsynet, or Lotteritilsynet, has introduced a new responsible gambling campaign to educate the public about the risks of problem gambling and encourage players to only gamble with licensed operators.
The campaign was launched after research indicated some 34,000 people in Norway suffer from gambling problems, and 88,000 more are considered at risk for similar issues.
“If you add everyone around the player who is also affected by the gambling addiction, there are a lot of people; we want to show how brutal and painful gambling addiction is, but also how people can get the best help,” Lotteri-og stiftelsestilsynet director Gunn Merete Paulsen said.
The campaign will reinforce the message that players should only gamble with approved operators. Norwegian gaming monopoly Norsk Tipping is currently the only operator permitted to offer gambling online in the country. Norsk Tipping sets spending limits and monitors gambling time, while illegal brands don’t, Paulsen claimed.
“While Norsk Tipping contacts players who are at risk for problems and asks them to play less, foreign gaming companies do the opposite: they contact players and ask them to play more,” Paulsen said.
“Those who have a problem with gambling, or who are at risk of developing one, are also the ones who notice the most about bonuses, betting odds, free games and gifts in gambling advertising. This tool markets the foreign gaming companies on a large scale.”
Market research shows that six of 10 people in Norway don’t know which operators are legal and which are not. “It is not strange; foreign gambling companies market their gambling a lot,” she said. “Then it is important for us to reach out with the knowledge that the foreign gambling companies are in fact not allowed to offer and market gambling in Norway.”
Lotteritilsynet will run responsible gambling ads on FINN.no, an online marketplace that many Norwegians use to buy and sell products. Paulsen said some of the adverts are placed by people trying to raise money to fund their gambling habits, but hopes the campaign ads will help deter consumers from doing so.
“Many Norwegians go to FINN.no when to buy or sell, and some of the regular ads that lie there are completely real, but there are some are there to sell a cabin or car because of gambling debts,” Paulsen said.
“We hope the campaign will give some indication of how serious gambling addiction is, and that we are helping to spread knowledge.”
