Opening speech at The International Association of Gaming Regulators 2013

Held 30th September 2013, Grand Hotel, Oslo.
(Original script, may differ from delivered version).

Dear colleagues from all over the world.

It is a pleasure for me to welcome all you delegates to Norway and this annual meeting of the International Association of Gaming Regulators. You are a significant forum for exchanging views and experiences on gaming and gaming regulation.

We live in a time characterized by swift technical and social developments. This raises new questions and challenges also within our field. And it makes this association more important than ever.

Until the turn of the millennium, gaming was a terrestrial activity offered within physical borders.
This allowed regulators to determine the development of their respective markets.
And it made it possible to undertake sufficient public control and enforcement of national law.

But over the last decade we have witnessed a substantial growth and expansion of gaming over the internet.
A new industry has emerged.
And it is innovative in its use of technology in the development of gaming services and the marketing of these.

This development has totally changed the possibilities for distribution of gaming. As a result regulators worldwide have been faced with new challenges.

How do we best supervise domestic gaming markets?
How do we adjust the enforcement of national policies?
What is the best solution when online gaming is being offered as across border activity?

These are among the questions you will be discussing today.

We all have the same objectives behind our wish to regulate gaming:
- We want to prevent negative social effects such as problem gambling,
- We want to prevent crime
- And we want to protect the consumers. 

However; different cultural, moral and national traditions have entailed countries to pursue independent gaming policies and regulations.

In Norway we have chosen a restrictive approach to gaming in our legislation. We have adopted an exclusive rights model where the largest forms of gaming is offered by the state owned company Norsk Tipping. Via state ownership the Government is able to determine the development of the gaming market.

We believe this is the most appropriate model to secure player protection and socially responsible gaming in Norway. This was clearly evident after slot machines run by private operators were banned in 2007. Ever since Norsk Tipping took over the responsibility for this form of gaming, social problems related to regulated Norwegian gaming have diminished.

Gaming in Norway is also an important source of revenues for sports, culture and non-governmental organizations.

In 2012 Norsk Tipping were granted a license to offer interactive gambling on the internet in Norway.
Our intention with the license is to establish a socially responsible online gaming offer regulated in accordance with our prevailing legal tradition.
And it is to be an alternative to foreign gaming companies who offer their services in Norway, without having a Norwegian license.

In July this year we appointed an expert group on gaming. They will look into several topics related to technological innovations on the Norwegian gaming market and present a report in December next year.

The group has been given a mandate to draw up an overview over the development of new forms of gaming. And it is to discuss which media and platforms may be used in the future to offer gaming in Norway.

In addition the group will map the competition the Norwegian market faces from online companies without a Norwegian license. They will also make proposals for measures that may be implemented to protect the regulated Norwegian market.

In Norway we also wish to strengthen the Norwegian Gaming Foundation`s efforts with regard to combating crime and defaults on the gaming market. The duties related to this may for instance imply an analysis of the gaming market with regard to different forms of financial crimes.  It may imply facilitating speedy reactions upon breaches of law via reports and assistance to the police, as well as cooperation with other public authorities.

Match fixing is also a problem not limited within national borders. It branches out to all corners of the globe. In Norway we have prepared an action plan to combat match fixing in sports.

The plan lays the basis for a wide cooperation and exchange of information among national and international stake holders. We see this as important to secure the integrity of sports, as well as confidence in the gaming market, and prevent organized crime.   

We have different structural approaches to our respective gaming markets in our countries. But we still face challenges of a common nature.
We must prevent that we lose sight of the basic foundation of the national regulations. It is of utmost importance for the protection of consumers and the prevention of negative social effects, be it problem gambling or crime.

Therefore exchange of information and cooperation between regulators is highly important.
It is my hope that we may establish an international understanding making it possible to control gaming offered via new technologies.
And that we can do this without undermining national regulations and enforcement.

If we look at the recent development of the gaming market it is obvious that a global cooperation is more vital than ever before.
I hope this meeting and the experience and knowledge that lies within the members of IAGR may contribute to regulators being responsible and promoting cooperative solutions.

I have hope and faith that IAGR 2013 will contribute in the right direction and I am therefore happy to declare this conference open.