Online gambling in Norway
Background
Norway has a long history of regulating gambling with strict controls in place to limit the proliferation of gambling activities. The government has maintained a monopoly on most forms of gambling for many years, arguing a closed market is the most effective way to minimise the potential for gambling addiction and promote public welfare generally.
Faced with the growth in borderless online gambling services, Norwegian authorities had the choice between opening their market and regulating all participating operators or trying to maintain a protectionist, closed gambling market. They chose the latter approach.
In 2009 the Government of Norway passed legislation designed to block payments made by players to online gambling operators not licensed in Norway. The laws are similar to America’s UIGEA provisions in that they target the payment processors rather than players or operators. The laws received Royal Assent on 23 February and come into effect 1 June 2010.
The approach was criticised at the time by the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) who’s mandate is to promote free trade and partnership agreements between its members and the wider EU single market. Nonetheless, this protectionist approach remains in place today, with the only organisations permitted to offer gambling services in the Norway being the two state controlled monopoly operators – Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto.
Current Regulations
The Norwegian Gaming and Foundation Authority (NGFA) the country’s gambling regulator. The current regulatory framework is one of strict government control with a focus on maintaining a gambling monopoly. Key aspects include:
- Monopoly system with…
– Norsk Tipping operating lotteries, sports betting, and online casino games (live dealer games are not permitted), and
– Norsk Rikstoto managing horse race betting and offers both online and offline betting options. - Prohibition on foreign operators:
Foreign operators are prohibited from offering gambling services to Norwegian residents and the government seeks to actively block unlicensed online gambling websites. - Advertising Restrictions:
Advertising gambling services is highly restricted. Only Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto are allowed to advertise, and even then, the advertising must adhere to responsible gambling guidelines. In 2021 a ban on the distribution of TV advertisements broadcasted from outside Norway came into force. - Payment Blockages:
NGFA seeks to block Norwegian resident transactions with unlicensed gambling sites. Such measures proved ineffective in the US. But NGFA claims on its website that since payment-blocking began in 2010, they’ve managed, ‘to stop money transfers between foreign gambling operators and people in Norway, with great effect‘.
Best live casinos for Norwegian players
Norsk Tipping does not offer live dealer games. The below casinos offer a comprehensive range of live games, and well as a number of crypto-currency deposit and withdrawal options.
