Kindred Group will challenge a fine imposed by Norway’s gambling regulator, Lotteritilsynet.
The company is facing a fine of NOK 1.2m ($111,902) per day from 5 October for allegedly conducting unlicensed operations in Norway.
But Kindred has remained defiant. Earlier this year, Lotteritilsynet ordered the group to “cease and desist” or else face a fine.
Kindred’s Maltese subsidiary Trannel stands accused of allowing Norwegian customers to gamble, which according to Lotteritilsynet, violates Norway’s strict monopoly.
In response to the order, the group lodged an appeal, but this was rejected by the Oslo District Court. Nevertheless, Kindred has continued to operate as usual.
Events have now come to a head; Lotteritilsynet has followed through on its threat to impose a sanction fee, but the group intends to once again appeal.
“We will appeal the decision of Lotteritilsynet regarding the issuance of this sanction fee and will continue operating as usual, as long as the legal process is ongoing,” said Henrik Tjärnström, Kindred’s CEO, in an interview with Dagens Industri.
Tjärnström went on to dispute the claim that Kindred even has operations in Norway, remarking: “We are licensed in Malta and believe that Norwegian customers under current European economic legislation have the right to play on foreign sites if they wish.”
Despite Kindred’s lack of success thus far in Norway’s legal system, Tjärnström is more optimistic regarding the group’s latest appeal.
“It is local courts in Norway that have ruled so far, and it is difficult to get the point across in the first points of call,” he said. “But this is a bigger issue than just for those courts. It will show with the appeal where this ends up.”
