Regulated gambling urged in Norway with over 120,000 addicted gamers

With more than 120,000 addicted gamers, Norway is in need for regulated gambling market, newspaper Aftenposten reported Wednesday.

"In Norway there is a lot of focus on where the money from games ends up. One should think more about the vulnerable players," said Morten Klein, game investor and owner of listed company Cherry, which is behind several game providers.

In addition to estimated more than 120,000 gamers at risk or suffering from gambling addiction, vulnerable groups also include the families of all those who are affected.

Klein cited an example from Sweden where all the licenced participants on the gaming market must be associated with website spelpaus.se, that gives affected gamer an opportunity to temporarily deprive themselves of gambling and receiving commercials from the gaming companies.

According to the regulation, foreign gaming companies that are tax payers are welcome to Swedish market as long as they comply with a common regulatory framework.

Even though Norway has a monopoly run by gambling company Norsk Tipping, more and more people spend money on the foreign companies that currently account for more than 50 percent of online gambling market.

According to Klein, many of the foreign gaming companies "undoubtedly" have a great interest in the Norwegian market that will give "more predictability and less 'war' with the Norwegian authorities".

Magnus Pedersen, political advisor of Spillavhengighet-Norge, a support organization for gaming addiction, also rejected Klein's arguments and expressed belief a system similar to Swedish model can be introduced in Norway without a regulated market.