Neteller and Skrill Depart the Norwegian Gambling Scene

They say change is the only constant thing in life, and online gamblers worldwide know this pretty well. Hot on the heels of the UKGC credit card ban in April 2020, Norwegian online gamblers will have to live without Neteller and Skrill as of December 8, 2020. Read on to learn a few things about this slight setback and how to get around it.

What Happened?

Norway began implementing it's new online and offline gambling regulations as early as December 2020. The aim is to protect the Norwegian gambling market against illegal gambling activities. But is that really the case, or will it end up causing more damage? Well, the changes in Norwegian gambling laws were first discussed in early 2020. Among them was the introduction of strict personal data protection by online payment platforms.

Can Norwegians Use Skrill and Neteller?

Skrill and Neteller are undoubtedly some of the most popular online casino banking methods currently. But as said initially, Norwegian casinos had until December 8, 2020, to inform their players about the looming changes. Casino players had up to December 21 to withdraw their casino balances from these two e-wallet options. After that, players will have to source for other payment alternatives, as discussed later on.

But the good news is that Norwegians can still use Neteller and Skrill to transfer funds. The new laws allow non-gambling activities such as ATM cash withdrawals, non-gambling deposits, crypto service, and money transfer for personal reasons. Overall, these e-wallet options aren’t closing shop in Norway.

What Are The Alternatives?

With Neteller and Skrill moving out of the Norwegian gambling scene, which options are available to players? Luckily, there is no shortage of banking options for online gamblers. Here are some of them:

• ecoPayz – ecoPayz is a popular global online payment option that is fast and reliable. This platform supports 50+ currencies, including Norwegian Krone. Like Neteller and Skrill, ecoPayz transactions go beyond the gambling industry. And most importantly, the website is SSL-encrypted for maximum online data protection.
• PayPal – If you think that Neteller and Skrill are the most popular payment options for online casinos, you better think again. That’s because PayPal is the most widely used online money transfer service currently. The platform boasts transactions of more than $17 billion as of 2019. Interestingly, PayPal only works with the biggest and most secure gambling sites.
• Wire Transfer – Most Norwegian casinos allow players to deposit and withdraw money through wire transfers from their bank accounts. It’s one of the best methods for transacting large amounts.
• Paysafecard – Paysafecard is widely popular in the UK and Europe at large. The payment method is fast, secure, and supported by most Norwegian online casinos. Players can top up cards quickly at high-street retailers.
• Visa/MasterCard – Visa and MasterCard are the most popular payment methods worldwide. Except for those in the UK, casino players worldwide are likely to find these options on a gambling site. However, withdrawals can take quite a while to complete.
• Bitcoin – For techies, this is an excellent opportunity to shift allegiance to Bitcoin-supported casinos. This digital currency is safe, anonymous, and available in most online casinos. Also, the transaction charges are super-low because there are no intermediaries. Bitcoin transactions don’t take more than 15 minutes to complete.

Future Predictions

These changes are sure to affect all Norwegian online gamblers. But there is a ray of hope even as Skrill and Neteller depart the Norwegian gambling market. Players can still use reliable payment options such as ecoPayz and Paysafecard to fund and withdraw money from their online casino accounts. All in all, it’s an excellent lesson for online casino players not to get stuck with a single payment method.