Norway Becomes World's Most Strict On Video Gambling Machines

Norway is taking a proactive stance when it comes to helping their problem gamblers. They are adopting some of the strictest rules on video gambling machines in hopes of helping save people from themselves.

The move comes after the government has become worried about the growing amount of cases in which problem gambling is ruining people's lives. They have stepped in hoping that their stricter restrictions will help curb the problem gambling.

"There will be limits on how much an individual can lose, they will be closed at midnight, and there will be a cooling off period after one hour of continuous play," said the Minister of Culture and Churches, Trond Giske.

In July of last year, the government banned all privately owned gambling machines until they were able to come up with a way to regulate them. Just from that move alone the number of calls that came in to a national gambling helpline has decreased to 330 so far this year. That number is down from the 2,276 that called in 2004.

The new machines will be much tougher to use. They will not take credit cards or cash. The only way a gambler can play the machines is by buying prepaid cards from the company that will operate the machines, Norsk Tipping.

"The new game terminals will be remote-controlled and strictly regulated to prevent people from developing a gambling problem," said a statement from Norsk.

June 13, 2008
Posted By Terry Goodwin
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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