It has been reported that the Norwegian Culture Minister Anniken Huitfeldt is looking at taking action against foreign internet gambling websites further to legislative changes last year.

Concerns have arisen that despite legislative changes in July 2010 to block financial transactions with offshore gambling sites that the number of Norwegian players that play on offshore site is as high as it was prior to the legislation.

A survey attributed to the Norsk Tipping state gambling monopoly claims that 4% of Norwegians over the age of 18 are currently gambling at foreign sites. The report which was sent to the Culture Minister has raised concerns and that while the government is against unregulated online gambling, changes to the law are clearly having little effect, and the government needs to take further action.

Reports suggest that the Norwegian government is considering measures that including blocking IP addresses of offshore gambling sites and legal action against operators that accept players that are residents within Norway.

The Culture Minister added: "We want to consider using filtering IP addresses against gambling companies that are undesirable in Norway,"

"Such measures have been successfully used in Italy, Estonia and France, and the concept has found favour in Denmark," Huitfeldt added.

However there is opposition to the idea of filtering ISPs and claims within the publication Liberalen opined suggest that it is not possible for the Government to shut out citizens from foreign gambling sites, and that introducing ISP filters amounted to internet censorship.

"The proposal breaks completely with the liberal values that should be bipartisan consensus in Norway," the editorial concluded.