Online Gambling Laws in Norway

Norway has had a mixed relationship with gambling over the last 100 years or so, with the topic a source of contention both within the country and outside of it. In this article, we'll look at Norway's gambling laws to determine which activities are legal and which are not.

Gambling Regulation by Casino Type

For most, gambling is legal in Norway, but the monopoly is controlled by two state-owned companies, Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto. 

The most recent legislation covering gambling is the Gaming Scheme Act 2023, which brings together previous acts and outlines that the two companies mentioned above maintain monopoly control, while the Norwegian Gaming and Foundation Authority is granted the power to block foreign gambling sites and issue fines. Let's look at the current situation for each type of gambling activity in turn.

Casino Games

Land-based casino gaming is illegal in Norway, with only a few exceptions. The closest you can get to a traditional casino experience in the country is on one of the specially designed casino cruise ships. Still, those are only available to passengers, and the casino is closed while in port.

The only alternative is Interactive Video Terminals (IVTs), operated by Norsk Tipping and scattered throughout the country. Even then, these machines are restricted to those with a special playing card, and losses are capped at 2,200 NOK (~€190) per month. Slot machines can be found at bingo halls across the country, of which there are over 100.

Online casino gambling is legal in Norway and has been since 2012, but the activity comes under monopoly control of Norsk Tipping, which operates the country's only online casino, KongKasino.

Thankfully, the best online casinos in Norway extend a bit beyond this one site! There is no licensing system for offshore companies to obtain a licence to operate in Norway. Still, players will not face prosecution for playing online casino slots and other games at foreign casinos, although some sites may be blocked.

Poker

Offline poker gambling is legal in Norway, but again, it comes under the monopoly control of Norsk Tipping. Private poker games are heavily restricted to up to 10 people aged 18+ with a prize pool of no more than 1,000 NOK. Interestingly, the Norwegian Poker Championship runs regularly in Oslo, the country's capital, presumably under Norway's charitable event exceptions. Poker machines are illegal in Norway.

Online poker is also legal in Norway but under the monopoly of Norsk Tipping, which doesn't offer any online poker. That leaves Norwegians with foreign poker sites for their gaming enjoyment, which the government makes some efforts to block, although players are not prosecuted for playing at such sites.

Bingo

Bingo gambling in Norway is legal, and since it's the closest thing Norwegians have to a traditional casino, the 100+ venues are very popular. Games are run by Bingo Norsk, which Norsk Tipping owns. These venues are the only places where slot machines are permitted, with the law making allowances for restricted gambling activities where the profits go to various charitable causes.

Online bingo gambling is legal and was a monopoly of Norsk Tipping up until the pandemic hit, during which the government made it legal for other operators to offer online bingo games to residents. This was due to the country's bingo halls having to close, but the relaxed rules have remained in place since.

Lotteries

Lottery gambling is legal in Norway and has been since 1986, with Norsk Tipping maintaining a monopoly on the activity. The state-owned company offers lottery tickets for popular draws such as Vikinglotto and scratch cards, which were available for purchase by those aged 14+ until 2019, when it was raised to the country's legal gambling age of 18.

Online lottery games technically fall under the monopoly of Norsk Tipping, whose website allows visitors to play online games for real money. However, Norwegians are not prosecuted for playing lottery games at foreign sites, although some sites may be blocked.

Social Casinos and Crypto Casinos

Social gambling is regulated in Norway as far as private poker games go. However, online social casinos don't seem to be addressed at present. Similarly, while lootboxes and skins gambling could be classed as gambling in Norway under the current legislation, no action has yet been taken against those games and sites offering them.

Cryptocurrencies are not illegal in Norway, but none of the gambling venues in the country accept virtual coins as a form of currency, largely because the Tax Administration regards cryptocurrency as an asset rather than money. Norwegians can play online casino games using cryptocurrencies via the numerous crypto casinos that accept players from Norway, with the country's government currently doing little to stop the activity.

Norway Sports Betting Laws

Sports betting is another legal activity in Norway, but the state-owned Norsk Rikstoto fully controls it. Betting on horse racing and trotting is fairly common in Norway, though it has decreased in popularity recently. The Norsk Tipping website also offers some sports betting markets, but the variety is not as great as you'll find at the big sports betting sites, many of which have tried in vain to gain access to the Norwegian market via the proper channels. Residents of the country can still access these sites as the government does little to block them.

Gambling Age Restriction

The legal gambling age in Norway is 18. The only exception to this used to be for buying scratch cards, which was permitted for those aged 14 and over. However, this unusual situation was addressed in 2019 raising the age to 18.

Tax Regulation

Since the only legal forms of gambling are either state-owned or run entirely for charitable purposes, no specific Norway gambling tax regulation is in place. Proponents of developing a licensing system allowing foreign operators to access the market have suggested a 15% tax.

For players, winnings obtained from Norwegian gambling operators are not subject to tax. Winnings of over 10,000 NOK from operators outside of Norway are subject to 28% tax.

History of Gambling Laws in Norway

The first written record of gambling laws in Norway was in 1902 when the Penal Code stated that only licensed gambling on games of chance was legally permitted in the country.

1927, the Totalizator Act made horse racing betting legal, and Norsk Rikstoto was established. Lottery gambling was legalized in 1986 under the monopoly control of Norsk Tipping.

Just about all other forms of gambling were legalized in 1992 under the Gaming Scheme Act, with Norsk Tipping holding a monopoly on such activities. In 1995, the Lottery Act laid out the legalities of lottery and lottery-like games in the country and introduced exceptions for activities held for charitable purposes.

In 2001, Norsk Tipping began offering limited gambling opportunities via its website. Slot machines were banned outright across the country in 2007 after fears over gambling addiction, with the heavily restricted Interactive Video Terminals legalized in 2009 to replace them.

In 2010, the Payment Act was passed, which prevented Norwegian banks from processing online gambling transactions. The Lottery Act was amended in 2015 to allow private poker games under strict conditions. The Gambling Act of 2021 allowed existing monopoly companies to offer a few more online gambling opportunities.

A new Gaming Scheme Act came into force in January 2023, which sought to bring together the three existing acts (Lottery, Totalizator and Gaming Scheme), giving the Norwegian regulatory authority more powers to block foreign websites and issue fines.

Key Facts

Norway generally has a very tight grip on gambling activities in the country. Here's a brief rundown of the key points regarding gambling laws in Norway:

• Land-based casino gambling is illegal in Norway, except on casino cruise ships, IVTs and slot machines at bingo halls.
• Online casino gaming is legal, but only one online casino is operated by state-owned Norsk Tipping. Online live casino games and other games can be accessed via foreign sites that haven't been blocked.
• Both offline and online poker are legal, falling under the monopoly control of Norsk Tipping.
• Offline bingo is legal and under the monopoly of Norsk Tipping (via Bingo Norsk).
• Online bingo is legal and can be offered by multiple operators due to the effects of the pandemic on the country's land-based bingo halls.
• Lottery gambling is legal and monopoly-controlled by Norsk Tipping.
• Sports betting is legal and monopoly controlled by Norsk Rikstoto.