Regulated Norway Casinos - Lotteri og Stiftelsestilsynet Licensed Casinos

Gambling Laws and Regulations for Norway Casinos

Gambling is legal in Norway exclusively on licensed websites and only people 18 and over are allowed to participate. 

Only two companies are licensed to offer gambling activities in Norway, and they both belong to the state. Private companies are not allowed to offer any type of gambling or betting activities. 

It is also illegal for offshore gambling operators to offer their services and to advertise to Norwegian players. To protect its citizens from the harmful effects of gambling, the government of this country forced banks to ban funds transfers to any gambling operator besides the two allowed by the state. 

Here are the two state-run gambling operators in the country: 

Which Authority Regulates Gambling in Norway?

The gambling regulator in Norway is the Norwegian Gambling and Foundation Authority. It is in charge of all casino games, number games, sports betting, horse betting, as well as the National Championship of Poker.

Their gambling regulations are transparent, accountable, proportionate, and consistent, with a focus on the issues that present the greatest risk to the population. 

Responsible Gambling at Norway Casinos 

Norway wants to “actively contribute to a society with less problem gaming”, through Norsk Tipping. It also aims to become a world leader in responsible gambling. 

In 2020, Norsk Tipping implemented a series of measures to prevent big losses, based on its own customer data. These measures include:

• Maximum loss limit of NOK 5,000 per month
• The inability to cancel withdrawals 
• Money transfers to offshore gambling companies are prohibited
• Automatic gaming break of 15 minutes triggered after one hour of playing
• The Norwegian Media Authority can prevent or stop the marketing of certain games
• The Spilepuls responsibility tool monitors the activity of players in real-time and starts a personal dialogue if there are signs of an addiction
• Players have access to their gaming insights
• Phone calls to players with problematic gambling patterns

Players have shown improved gaming habits in 2021 compared to 2020, which means that the measures are producing results. 

The Most Popular Real Money Games in Norway 

Now let’s have a look at the gambling activities Norwegian players can legally engage in on the two available gambling sites:

Popular Software Providers at Norway Casinos

There aren’t any casino software developers from Norway, and Norsk Tippling includes games from popular foreign companies such as:

Norway Casino Banking Options and Currency

You can deposit and withdraw at Norsk Tipping through a bank account at a bank in Norway. The main currency for transactions is the Norwegian Krone (NOK).

Norsk Tipping does not offer any other payment options, unlike platforms in other jurisdictions.

You can manually request a withdrawal from your player account to the bank account, and they take between 1 and 3 business days. This timeframe does not include weekends and national holidays, during which the waiting time increases.

Once you request a cashout, you cannot reverse it.

Norway Gambling Statistics

The 2021 Board of Directors Annual Report of Norsk Tipping mentions that:

• The net gaming revenue was 8.7 billion NOK ($867 million)
• 2.1 million Norwegian players tried their luck in 2021 and played at least one game at Norsk Tipping
• 29% of them were younger than 40
• The total operating revenue of Norsk Tipping increased from 43 to 44 billion NOK ($4.3 billion) 
• 64% of net gaming revenue came from lotteries 

• Sports betting saw the biggest growth in 2021, after sports events took place again
• In 2021, its market share was 67% of the entire gaming market (by turnover)
• The company has 404 employees out of which 37% are women
• 33% of the company’s senior management are also women because it aims at improving the gender balance 

History of Norwegian Gambling 

Norway has a long history of gambling, so let’s talk about the main events that created the state monopoly and shaped the current regulations.

First Gambling Activities

According to a paper presented at the 4th conference of the European Association for the Study of Gambling, the activity was first introduced in Norway in 1719 by the king of the time. 

He gave away large manors and farms as prizes for the state lottery. And the great thing was that the profit was given to homes for orphans.

The Downfall

During the 19th century, card games were very popular and they used to create a lot of family tragedies. Many people lost their homes to gambling, thus the saying “gambling away one’s farm and land”.  

Because of this, gambling went from very popular to a rare activity that was not seen well by the general public. Another reason for this was the restriction of alcoholic beverages, which in the end prevented many family tragedies.

The Comeback

Legal gambling returned slowly and became legal in 1902. Passive gaming was introduced in 1913 (with low prizes), and horse betting began in 1927. Football betting was introduced by British companies in the 1930s.

The state initially did not like the idea of money made from gambling, but it slowly agreed with it after the Second World War, with a limit of 5 million NOK. This slowly lead to the establishment of Norsk Tipping, the national lottery company. 

The Expansion

The gambling market in Norway remained stable for about 15 years, and bingo halls were introduced in the 60s. During this period, the Red Cross was also offering slot machines with limited stakes and prizes.

The era of gambling tragedies was a thing of the past, and gambling become more popular again in the 80s and 90s. Horse betting expanded all over the country, and lotto and instant scratch tickets were in high demand. Prizes increased and age limits disappeared. 

State Monopoly and Restrictions

Slot machines began developing in the 90s, and they become really popular in the early 2000s. In 2004, slot machines made 64% of the gross turnover from gambling.  Authorities began to gradually restrict them, and in 2007 slot machines were completely banned in Norway.

Interactive Video Terminals (IVTs) were introduced in 2009, similar to the Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) used in the UK. The machines are developed by Norsk Tipping, they are heavily restricted, and require a card to start the game. 

When it comes to online casino sites, it became illegal for Norwegians to gamble at offshore websites in 2008. The law that instructed banks and payment processors to not allow payments from and to offshore casinos was given in 2010.  

Final Thoughts on Norway Casinos 

So now you know everything there is to know about online casinos in Norway. Even though the legislation is very strict and there is only one licensed website, it still offers a good variety of games and gambling options.

While you do not have any free signup bonus or no deposit casino options in Norway, you can still have plenty of fun at the Kong Casino section on Norsk Tipping. 

A great thing about Norway is that it is actively involved in implementing responsible gambling measures. Norwegian players have fewer chances of losing large amounts of money or becoming addicted to gambling, compared to those from other countries.