In addition to being dumped out of the UEFA Champions League (UCL), Italy’s Serie A leader Inter Milan faces the further ignominy of gambling-related sanctions in one of the countries in which it played.
Arctic Circle franchise Bodø/Glimt beat Inter 2-1 in Milan last week to complete a 5-2 aggregate win that eliminated the Italians from the 2025-26 UCL competition.
In addition to being outclassed 3-1 by Bodø/Glimt in Norway on February 18, Inter played the game with Betsson.sport displayed on their shirts. According to comments cited by national daily Aftenposten, the hue and cry over Inter’s shirts has now landed formally with the Norwegian gambling regulator, Lotteritilsynet.
shirt sponsorship will fall under the marketing prohibition”
Lotteritilsynet Director Tore Bell stated that “Shirt sponsorship will fall under the marketing prohibition if the name being promoted is sufficiently well known that it is associated with gambling.”
While Betsson has exited Norway, it spent nearly two decades in the market and is widely known for gambling products in the Scandinavian country. So Bell wasn’t buying Inter’s argument that Betsson.sport promotes a sports information app rather than gambling, stating: “That explanation is not necessarily one we will accept.”
Bell, however, said Bodø/Glimt had acted in an “orderly manner” when Lotteritilsynet spoke to it about the Inter shirts, adding that the regulator wasn’t “certain that the club can be blamed.” Bell ended by saying it was “possible” Inter could be sanctioned and that Lotteritilsynet is continuing its investigation.
Only two state-controlled gambling entities are allowed to advertise to Norwegians, with the country’s Gambling Act giving Lotteritilsynet the power to issue coercive fines and administrative penalties for any violations of its marketing ban.
