Over 200 organisations lost lottery approvals in Norway

The gambling regulator from Norway has revealed that over 200 organisations have been removed from its register of approved lottery operators.

Norway.- The Lottery-og stiftelsestilsynet, the regulator from Norway, has revealed that 211 organisations failed to report accounting. Thus, the regulator removed them from its register of authorised operators to conduct lottery and bingo services for charitable purposes.

The Norwegian gambling regulator said that of those 211 organisations, 51 had licences to operate lotteries and bingo for charitable purposes in the country. Now they will be under a six-month period in which they cannot reapply for their previous licences.

The organisations removed from the register failed to report any accounts before the deadline. This happened despite several inquiries from the regulator. Those organisations also can’t offer bingo in 2020. The prohibition may represent a significant loss of income for some of them.

Norway operator proposes betting cap

State-owned Norsk Rikstoto proposed Norway should set a monthly betting cap for all players. The limit would be €2,019 every 30 days, with a potential to roll leftover money up to 90 days. That would allow them to bet over €6k in 30 days (every three months).

Lotteritilsynet director Henrik Nordal backed the proposal and described it as a “safety net” for problem gamblers. “We see the need to clarify [Norsk Rikstoto’s] role here,” he said anyway. “Norsk Rikstoto’s main duty is to provide a safe and responsible way to gamble. 

“That the horse racing industry benefits from its profits is a consequence, and not a reason, as to why it is one of the few operators that can offer real-money gambling in Norway.”