Norway's state gambling operator has been ordered to pay a NOK 1 million ($105,000) fine after regulators concluded it fell short of key anti-money laundering obligations. In a decision dated Thursday (February 12), the Norwegian Lottery Authority (Lottstift) said Norsk Tipping violated several provisions of the Money Laundering Act. The findings come after a lengthy supervisory review carried out through 2025, culminating in a formal administrative penalty.
The premise of the lawsuit is whether Tipico should refund wagers placed between 2013 and 2020, when the operator held a Malta-issued license but not a German one. Specifically, it relates to the compatibility of German gambling laws with wider EU regulations, and in particular, the outworking under Article 56 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
"As of 23 March 2026, the Google Ads Gambling and games policy will introduce additional certification eligibility requirements," the email states. "Applicants for gambling certifications must now demonstrate good policy health to advertise in any gambling and games category." Specifically, advertising certification will not be granted if the site is hosted on a free platform, if it uses a subdomain of a third-party platform, if the advertiser doesn't own and operate the second-level domain, and/or if the site has no real association with gambling.
