Sports betting is very popular in Norway. Like other forms of gambling, however, it has long been subject to strict government regulations. In fact, the Norwegian Penal Code of 1902 established that all games of chance could only be legally offered by special license holders. If this was not the case, it would be considered a punishable offence. But later in the century, three laws were passed that authorized certain operators. And as the internet became increasingly dominant, internet casinos also became possible and betting in Norway became legal.
Norwegian Tipping
Norsk Tipping was founded in 1948 and initially only offered football pools. The entity was shared between the state (40%), the Norwegian Sports Confederation (40%) and the Norwegian Football Association (20%) until 1993 when the state took over sole ownership.
Now the company has a license to administer several more markets, including lotteries, various instant games, keno, bingo and other games of chance. Since 2001, they have expanded their services to also include online and adapted to use with mobile phones as early as 2005.
Norsk Tipping has managed Norway’s lottery since 1986. Players choose from a field of 34 numbers. They choose seven main numbers and three side numbers that can trigger additional wins. Half of the total deposited amount is distributed as profit, while the other 50 percent goes to the Ministry of Culture, which uses the funds for cultural activities and charity.
Norwegian Rikstoto
Norsk Rikstoto has a monopoly on all competition activities for animals in Norway. It was founded in 1982 as a joint venture between the Norwegian Trotting Association and the Norwegian Jockey Club. However, they did not take over the administration of betting on these events from Norsk Tipping until 1993.
How are gambling and gambling companies regulated in Norway?
Sports betting is regulated by the Totalizer Act of 1927, which gave the Norsk Rikstoto foundation the right to conduct betting on horse races under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture. In 1992, the state company Norsk Tipping was established by the Act on Gaming Regulations, which gave it exclusive rights to offer other sports betting. However, these two companies offer a limited amount of sports betting, which is why players turn to international bookies.
The Norwegian government has, as of May 2019, banned money transactions to betting company websites, but of course Norwegian players can still circumvent the law with so-called e-wallets. On these international platforms, they can bet on many sports and get better promotions at foreign betting companies.
Betting on the internet is therefore completely ok, and according to the latest gambling law from 2010, which states that it is not illegal to play at internet casinos, as long as the gambling company is located in another country.