At a time when the UK is planning to extend it’s gambling industry another European nation is considering pulling the plug on it’s own online gaming facilities.

Norway is fresh off of having one of their own, Annette Obrestad, win the World Series of Poker Europe main event, as well as four other Scandinavians play at the final table.

Those finishes apparently did not impress the Norwegian Culture Minister, Trond Giske, who is reported to be thinking about passing a similar bill as that which was introduced in the US by the Bush administration banning online gambling.

The crutch that he is hiding behind is that he feels that there is a huge risk associated with online poker for problem gamblers.

The problem for Mr. Giske is that there is no reliable evidence to backup the assumption that online poker or casinos shows any increase in problem gambling. Giske, like many politicians is using the problem gambling card to try and pass legislation.

Norway already has laws in place making gambling illegal, but this bill, like in America, would make it illegal to process transactions between online gaming operators and local banks. Norwegian IP addresses would also be blocked from being able to access any online gambling sites.

Norway"s players have risen to the top of the poker universe, but this ban could keep them from further advancement on a global stage.
Though Scandanavian countries have always treated gambling with extreme caution this proposed ban would send shockwaves throughout the area.

In 2002 a study commissioned by the Norwegian Government found that 50,000 people aged between the ages of 15 and 74 were suffering from or had in the past suffered from gambling addiction.

Armed with these statistics the Government has consistently attempted to increase their regulatory control over gambling and now may make sure online access to gaming is strictly prohibited