Though Norway is a member of the European Economic Council, it is not a member of European Union and there are many things about Norway and its people that make this small Scandinavian country different as far as online gaming is concerned. Here, gambling at foreign casinos is not legal and there are many restrictions imposed even on licensed casinos. In such a scenario, it is not a surprise that iGamers face difficulties in depositing and receiving their winnings from casinos.
Payment for a winner in an online casino in Norway is not quick and easy as is the case with other European nations. Much of the thrill and excitement of the gambler fizzles out because of the restrictions in payment processing by online casinos. Then, there are problems in completing a transaction when a player is sure of a win but his payment is not processed by the online casino. Most players have no clue how Norwegian government places restrictions in the name of security and regulations. This is because gamblers do not get to face these problems directly.
It was in 2017 that Norwegian government tightened the screws on the banks and they in turn tightened the noose around online casinos. Government asked banks to block payments to foreign online casinos. Major players in gambling industry such as Entercash and European Gaming and Betting Association opposed these regulations imposed by government and challenged them in the court of law. But it was the government that had the last laugh when an Oslo district court ruled in favor of regulations imposed by the authorities.
Online gambling at unlicensed casinos is illegal in Norway with the country enjoying a monopoly through Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto casinos, which are licensed. Despite such a stranglehold, large numbers of Norwegians play at foreign online casinos because they have great promotions and bonuses on offer from time to time. You can find more information about these great packages and promotions at CasinoHEX NO site.
Reasons why payment processing is complex and lengthy
- Government takes prompt action against banks if they process payments against the law of the land. This is why banks take a long time to process payments both for the casinos as well as players as they want to avoid problems with the authorities.
- Norwegian government wants to keep a vigilant eye on the gambling industry. This is why they allow only licensed casinos to organize online gambling. Government has issued license only to Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto.
Difficulties in deposits and withdrawals
Government has imposed many conditions for deposits and withdrawals to dissuade citizens form gambling at unlicensed casinos. Deposits through bank transfer take a lot of time (sometimes, 3-5 days) and require several steps. Players cannot pay from their PayPal account if their residential address is in Norway. Withdrawal method has to be same as deposit. Currency for deposit and withdrawal needs to be the same. This is the reason why iGaming lovers in Norway often face difficulties with payments.