Norway takes feedback on national problem gambling strategy
The national gambling regulator and health directorate are leading the initiative.
Norway.- A consultation has taken views from a range of stakeholders as the Norwegian government looks to improve its national problem gambling strategy. The gambling regulator Lotteritilsynet is leading the project alongside the national Directorate of Health and the media watchdog Medietilsynet.
The aim is to launch a new problem gambling strategy in 2026 amid concerns about the high rate of problem gambling in a market with only two permitted operators: Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto.
State-owned Norsk Tipping suggested that gambling harm initiatives should focus more on people aged between the ages of 18 and 25 due to the increasing popularity of casino games in this younger age group. It also suggested that research be conducted to ascertain which minority populations face most risk of problem gambling. It said this data could help shape future safer gambling messaging.
It also called for research into the effects of DNS blocking, or IP address blocking as enforcement action against unlicensed gambling.
Bodies contributing to the consultation on the strategy included the non-profit support group ADHD Norway, which suggested that municipalities need more funds for problem gambling support and that gambling advertising should be more restricted.
It said more work was needed to help people with neurological disorders. It noted that up to three quarters of people with ADHD in the country have higher levels of impulsivity, making them more at risk of gambling addiction.Secretary general Gry Lunde also suggested that the Norwegian Correctional Service should run targeted courses for the identification and treatment of gambling disorders in prisons.
Gambling Addiction Norway’s (GAN) political advisor Magnus Pedersen proposed the launch of an educational campaign to help the relatives of problem gamblers to understand the support tools available.
In April, the Norwegian gambling regulator highlighted a rise in the number of players gambling with the country’s two monopoly operators amid an apparent decline in unlicensed gaming with offshore operators. It credited this to its enforcement action against illegal offerings.
Player numbers at Norsk Tipping rose by 11 per cent in 2024, reaching two million. Norway’s other monopoly gambling operator, Norsk Rikstoto, which traditionally focuses on horse racing betting, saw numbers rise by 5 per cent to 175,000.That may hold off calls for a liberalisation of gambling in Norway. A small handful of legislators suggests that the country should follow Finland and introduce a regulated gambling market, but Norway’s counties have mounted a defence of Norsk Tipping.
