Updated with comment from Ladbrokes Norway
Last week, Per Scavenius, Ladbrokes' country manager in Norway, told media there that the British bookmaker will appeal an October decision in Oslo that saw it denied a license.
Ladbrokes applied for a Norwegian license in 2004 but, according to a spokesman, had a hunch it would be denied -- under Norwegian law, Norsk Tipping A.S. and Norsk Rikstoto are granted the exclusive right to provide sports and horserace betting services, respectively.
"But what it (the application) did do was flag up the conflict between Norwegian state monopoly law and European law," the spokesman told IGamingNews last month.
Although the Ladbrokes case was appealed to the European Free Trade Association Court in 2007, the EFTA Court's recommendations were interpreted by the City Court of Oslo last month as legitimizing Norway's existing monopoly.
Trond Giske -- Norway's minister of culture and church affairs and a key player behind the country's proposed payments ban -- hailed last month's ruling as confirmation that Norway's current legislation provides the best protection "against the dangers of gaming."
Mr. Scavenius told NA24, an Internet-based Norewegian business newspaper, that the government is simply trying to protect its monopoly on betting revenue, estimating that the country's betting market is worth over 20 billion Norwegian kronor, or about $2.8 billion.
"Ladbrokes are subject to stricter controls than Norsk Tipping is, and we also want to support socially beneficial purposes in Norway," he added.
Mr. Scavenus told IGamingNews Wednesday morning morning that the company is making preparations to take its case to the country's court of appeals next fall.
"Obviously, we're confident and we're prepared to go all the way," he said.