Norwegian regulator Lotteritilsynet is about to fine affiliate web site proprietor Search engine marketing-Butler for promoting illegal gambling web sites regardless of repeated warnings.
The regulator first introduced Search engine marketing-Butler with an order to cease advertising of illegal gambling web sites on its websites on 7 December, 2020.
It then warned on 22 March of this yr that if Search engine marketing-Butler didn’t cease promoting these websites, it might be fined.
In response, Search engine marketing-Butler issued a letter saying its websites have been blocked for customers with Norwegian IP addresses.
However, evaluations between 19 April and three May confirmed that whereas many websites have been blocked, 4 websites had dot.no domains and have been accessible to view. Search engine marketing-Butler continued to promote illegal gambling on these websites.
The websites in query have been Tjenpengeronline.no, Fotballreisetips.no, Finnstilling.no and Startsidendin.no.
As a consequence, Lotteritilsynet opted to situation a fine.
“Search engine marketing-Butler has on a lot of events been made conscious of breaches of the advertising and dissemination ban,” the regulator stated. “Lotteritilsynet takes a critical view of repeated breaches of the rules, particularly after the actor is made conscious of which particular circumstances are thought-about to be breaches of the principles.
“Furthermore, Search engine marketing-Butler has in a number of circumstances given the impression that it has complied with the orders to cease its illegal enterprise.”
In figuring out the dimensions of the fine, the regulator famous that, in accordance to the Norwegian Lotteries Act 1998-99, such a fine ought to be “so massive that it eliminates the advantages the offender could have by persevering with the illegal exercise,” however “on the identical time shouldn’t be unreasonably excessive.”
It finally determined to situation a fine of NOK2,000 per day, ranging from 25 May, up to a most of NOK200,000.
