Kindred Group to leave Norway after failed court appeal

After some struggle, it seems that Kindred Group will be leaving Norway after all. The company is one of the largest gaming providers in Europe, numbering the likes of Unibet, Maria Casino, Storspiller and Bingo among its recognizable brands. The bulk of the dispute between Kindred Group and the Norwegian Gaming Authority came due to a perceived lack of license to operate in Norway.

A Norwegian gaming license is necessary to offer products, says the government

The Norwegian Gaming Authority issued a decree that no longer permitted Kindred Group to extend its services to Norwegian customers, as the gaming company is headquartered in Malta and only holds a Maltese gaming license, not a Norwegian one. Kindred Group immediately appealed the decree to the Ministry of Culture and the Lottery Board, stating that the validity of its Maltese gaming license should allow them to enter the Norwegian market.

Nonetheless, Norway’s government sided with the Norwegian Gaming Authority, declaring that a license from Norway is indeed necessary for gaming operations in the country. In effect, the Board said that Kindred Group’s Norwegian offering, which included a tailor-made website and various marketing endeavors towards Norwegian clients, were not in compliance with the law. While it’s not yet clear whether Kindred Group will attempt to mitigate this by acquiring a Norwegian gambling license, given that they built a customized platform for the country’s players, it appears that gaming provider has little choice but to move its operations out of the county for the time being.