If you ask about gambling in Norway, the first thing you’ll hear is that it is not an option. However, there are exceptions and loopholes to their laws, which means that you can still play for real money casino and enjoy an amazing gambling experience.
The limited options for gambling support Norway’s interests and infrastructure. The gaming policies of Norway have three objectives:
- Limit private profit
- Prevent problematic gambling behaviours
- Prevent financial irregularities
However, despite their tough laws, players in Norway are able to play games at the best online gambling sites available to them. Right now, Norway has the third highest gambling rate in Europe.
Gambling Regulations in Norway
Let’s dig into this a bit deeper. Norway has a monopoly on gambling that resulted from three acts issued in the 20th century. They offered exceptions from all the bans imposed on the gambling market. These include:
- The Totalisator Act (1927)
- The Lottery Act (1995)
- The Gaming Act (1992)
Thanks to these acts, Norway is able to offer horse-racing gambling activities, lottery, soccer betting, and other games. The only two companies allowed to provide such services in the Norwegian territory are Norsk Rikstoto and Norsk Tipping. The first arranges horse racing bets while the latter runs lotteries, Keno games, sports betting, etc.
To play a game or bet wagers, you need to be at least 18 years of age. Scratch off tickets come with an exception since they have no age requirement for purchasing.
Gambling is not officially illegal here, so even though there aren’t land-based casinos in Norway, players can gamble online.
Poker Laws
Before Norway lifted the low stakes law for Poker, this game was among the first on the list of illegally played games in the country. Today, it is legal to play poker from home. This comes with certain restrictions.
Only 10 or less players can play Poker.
The amount of money from each player has to be below 1000 NOK.
People who play poker must be from the same area or region.
The game has to be played in a private home and not be organized by professional providers.
Lottery
In Norway, there’s a private lottery market that includes Bingo games and traditional lotteries. It is known as Lotto and operated by Norsk Tipping. The lottery takes place every Saturday since 1986 on the Norwegian National Television Channel or NRK.
There are certain restrictions when it comes to playing the lotto, too. Non-profit organizations with a cultural or humanitarian purpose can hold bingo games, but the surplus must go to the organization’s purpose. To do this, they need the permit to hold bingo games, issued by the Lottery Committee.
Slots
Slots were legal in Norway, but not anymore. It’s a shame considering that these games brought millions of Norwegian Kroners on a yearly basis, a number that grew significantly in the early 2000s. The income went to charitable causes such as the Red Cross.
However, due to an increased number of problem gamblers, the Norwegian government banned slot machines in 2007. They tried to replace these with interactive video terminals two years later, but the alternative was not as widely accepted. Why? Because to play at IVTs, you need to have a special card.
Because of the slot laws, Norwegians today play casino games on the Internet.
Conclusion
Norway has really strict policies against gambling. There aren’t specific laws against gambling in the country, but they’ve banned games like slots and do not allow more than two companies to deliver gambling opportunities. As a result, online gambling is extremely popular among Norwegians. It is not illegal to gamble online and since there aren’t land-based casinos in Norway, this is the only option for its citizens.