The Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada, have been the scene of some wondrous performances over the past two weeks.  The United States team has been a big surprise, scoring well in skiing events normally dominated by the European countries.  On the other hand, the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Finland and Norway have done very well for themselves across the board in a wide genre of Olympic events.

While the citizens of the Scandinavian countries have good reason for their patriotism, their respective legislatures are giving mixed signals regarding online gambling in their respective countries.  Online gambling has been brisk, and many online sportsbook gambling sites have reported a marked increase in wagering on the Olympics.

As online gambling continues to rise, countries, such as Norway, are attempting to put a damper on the popular worldwide activity.  Norway has recently imposed a ban on its citizens from enacting any financial transactions that are related to unauthorized online gambling within the confines of the country.  In essence, the ban is similar to the one imposed by the Unites States in 2006. 

The Norwegian law will make it a federal offense for financial service providers to assist in the transfer of payments from Norwegian players to online gambling sites that are unlicensed.  However, the problem with this legislation, slated for implementation on June 1, 2010, is that it may become unenforceable because of the number of people needed to be hired to monitor these transactions.

In Denmark, there is a movement among legislators to block foreign online casino gambling sites.  However, there is another bill under consideration that would further liberalize the online gambling market, which is more in keeping with the country’s political leanings.  It seems that a blockage of some online casinos would enrage the citizens of Denmark, who regularly and historically object to any attempt on the part of the government to infringe on their personal freedoms and rights.

One thing is for certain – online casino gambling has received another jolt in the arm by the Winter Olympics.  While online casino sportsbook gamblers made a bundle if they wagered on such upset winners as Evan Lysacek in figure skating and the country of Canada for winning the most gold medals, the online casinos also saw an increase in gambler participation.