Hello Andrew
I'm not aware of the legal situation in Norway, do the laws oblige/encourage you to say that information on sites like yours should be treated as 'entertainment'?
Regards H.
Hello Handn, This is a big question where I have to give an expanded answer:
First, there are restrictions on gaming (betting & gambling) in Norway that extend to the use of national/international bookmakers over the internet. In fact, as from 1. June 2010 it is not possible in Norway to use a VISE to transfer money to a betting account, UNLESS it is one of the government?s own betting games run by Norsk Tipping. These are not affected by the regulations. One-arm bandits that offered a primary source of income for humanitarian organisations have been removed from public places, shopping centres, etc. and the government expressed the intent or replacing them with their own slot-machines. Now, instead, it is possible to gamble with the refund money from your empty bottles, where I believe the profits go to the Red Cross. My wife tried it and won a bar of chocolate.
But the story continues. Betting and gambling activities is generally discouraged in Norway, except those games that are provided by Norsk Tipping, which receive the best broadcasting time on a daily basis on national TV, NRK. Profits from gaming activities are taxable, except those that are run by the government that are marketed as tax-free. (!)
Obviously, there is big money rolling round in the betting industry. I think that anyone who places money on a game, or in fact makes any sort of investment, does so because they wish for it to be profitable. Yet in most gambling instances there will be found a clause that says that these games are arranged for entertainment purposes only and an account may be closed without reason.
Closing in on the problem of astrology:
I did contest the Norwegian national telephone company Telenor, previously Televerket, in a minor court in 1995 for defining astrology as entertainment. The problem was astrology being defined as entertainment by Telenor's payphone services and them refusing to admit me a non-entertainment telephone service. I found this detrimental to my practice and could not offer my services to investors, brokers and lawyers on an entertainment basis. The payphone services were skimming the market, my business was stooping at the same time as people were saying that astrology was junk and I was receiving complaints for the low-quality/poor policy services that I myself was opposing. My appeal was heard in the minor court but if I had taken the case to a higher level the telecommunication giants would have run me into bankruptcy. So I settled with the publicity of having cast light on the problem.
Now - educational and entertainment services have largely, and up to the present date, been rated as tax-free ? meaning that there is no V.A.T. on these services in Norway. However, tax officials have declared that although astrology payphone services are defined as entertainment, they are still primarily a consultation service ? and consultants are due to add V.A.T. that is paid to the government. One of the payphone providers loop-holed this problem by closing down their Norwegian branch and re-opening in Sweden. So although the owners are in Norway and the services are delivered in Norway, the bookkeeping is done in Sweden ? so consultations are registered as export of services and not due to V.A.T. in Norway. This is to show how astrology is treated as entertainment on one official level, but as non-entertainment as soon as it comes to collecting revenues. I do not agree with the way the problem is treated and solved.
Astrological prediction and gambling:
Unless a disclaimer is included, someone is sure to turn up some day and try to claim liability. I am entitled to a personal opinion and can take responsibility for my own stakes as they offer a fair tool for me to prove my case. However, I would not like anyone to make an excessive bet over my head, which a) comes down to a policy of responsible gambling, and b) any sizable profit based on my work and industry should in principle be remunerated. However, the purpose of my work at present is that these contests represent a reasonable demonstration of astrological prediction in a manner that attracts the public eye. The predictions are sporting and playful, at the same time as many people yearn for some sort of answer to questions of a higher order. - But in short there is no reason why I should admit to greater legal liability than the betting companies and bookmakers.
I have delivered so many predictions over the last 25 years where people either said the accuracy was only a coincidence or ?anyone could have said that?. Scientific circles will continue to ridicule that astrology is a hoax. I would claim my work is educational and, as far as the future is concerned, we as astrologers can try to understand what is going on in the scheme of things but cannot expect to get every detail right every time. Including an entertainment clause on my website is, at the moment, like choosing the way of least resistance to illuminate my cause. If I raise my hand and want astrology to be taken seriously, then someone is sure to jump up in objection and attempt to bat me across the head. However, if an astrological practice can show a scorecard and profit beyond reasonable doubt, then I can push the ?entertainment? definition back to officials and scientists ? and leave it for them to sort out. Let the experts figure out what the Universe looks like and what is actually going on. If that is how they want it.
