Norsk Tipping under scrutiny amid reports of underage gambling
The Norwegian gambling regulator is investigating the state-owned operator.
Norway.- Norsk Tipping, Norway’s state-owned monopoly gambling operator, is facing an investigation amid concerns that minors may have been able to use its platform. The Norwegian gambling regulator Lotteritilsynet has written to the operator giving it two weeks to respond to a series of nine questions probing potential breaches of measures to prevent underage gambling.
The probe was sparked by a report from a Norwegian bank, which said it had detected significant transfers from the bank account of a customer aged under 18 to a Norsk Tipping account over the course of a year. The gambling account was not in the minor’s name, but Lotteritilsynet is concerned that the minor may have gained access to it by borrowing credentials.
Drafted by legal advisors Anya Therese Markhus and Monica Alisøy Kjelsnes, the questions listed in the letter mainly seek answers regarding Norsk Tipping’s financial risk monitoring systems and the effectiveness of the policies it has in place to prevent misuse.
It suggests that the operator received information about 21 cases since January 1 2024 and asks why it did not inform the regulator. It also asks about the payment solution for Vipps and Apple Pay and how many minors the operator is aware of having used its platform
Tore Bell, department director at Lotteritilsynet, said the investigation was still in progress and that it was too early to determine what had happened. However, the incidents being investigated could represent breaches of Norway’s Gambling Act and Money Laundering Act. As for how the regulator could address that, its options could range from an order to improve age verification protocols to daily fines until failings are resolved.
If negligence is detected, it could levy fines based on gross gaming revenue (GGR) or even suspend the operator’s licence, although this is extremely unlikely given that Norsk Tipping belongs to the state. Nevertheless, significant failings would represent a serious blow to the government’s claim that Norway’s monopoly gambling system is the best way to ensure safe and responsible gambling in the country.
Back in February, Norsk Tipping was issued a NOK36m (€3.1m) fine for failing to allow players to self-exclude during a period last year. The Norwegian Gambling Act requires the country’s two licensed operators, Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto, to allow players to self-exclude from gambling at any time. However, a technical problem prevented players from being able to self-exclude via Norsk Tipping’s iPhone app between January and May 2024. Norsk Tipping self-reported the fault in June after it had fixed the issue.
Some politicians have called for a liberalisation of gambling in Norway on the heels of Finland, but Norway’s counties have mounted a defence of Norsk Tipping.
Meanwhile, the national regulator has claimed some success in clamping down on unlicensed gambling. Player numbers at Norsk Tipping rose by 11 per cent in 2024 to two million. Norsk Rikstoto, which traditionally focuses on horse racing betting, saw numbers rise by 5 per cent to 175,000.
Together, the two operators’ combined full-year revenue rose by 19 per cent year-on-year to NOK3.1bn (€262.1m). Meanwhile, the regulator estimated that revenue to the unlicensed market fell by 18 per cent to NOK1.3bn. It suggested that the downturn shows the results of its actions to block access to illegal sites and payment providers and prevent advertising, which meant players had to use the state-approved offerings.
