Norway to consult on new Gambling Act

Norway is to launch a consultation on plans to consolidate the country’s three gambling laws into one new act later this year.

Norway.- The Norwegian Ministry of Culture is to launch a consultation on the creation of a single gambling act to replace the existing triple legislation structure governing the industry.

The ministry is in favour of consolidating Norway’s Lottery Act, Gambling Act and Totalisator Act into one piece of legislation for the whole Norwegian market.

The state-owned Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto would maintain their monopolies on gambling and be subject to stricter state control, with the government having the final decision on appointments to their boards. 

Norway’s ban on remote and foreign operators would remain in place and the Norwegian Gaming Authority (Lotteritilsynet) would get more power to tackle illegal operators, including the power to order internet service providers to notify users when they see marketing from offshore operators.

Stakeholders have until September 29 to respond to the consultation.

Minister of Culture and Gender Equality, Abid Q. Raja, said: “The purpose of the bill is to improve responsible gaming [standards] and to prevent problems and other negative consequences of gambling,

“We still want voluntary and non-profit purposes to benefit from the profits that gambling generate, and the bill facilitates this, but at the same time also demands more efficiencies from Norsk Tipping.”

Other changes proposed in the bill include a streamlined structure for oversight with the Ministry of Culture taking on responsibility for all aspects of gambling, including the horse racing sector, which currently comes under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food’s remit.

The bill would introduce new requirements for Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto, including marketing regulations designed to ensure adverts did not target children or anyone on the self-exclusion register. 

Focus Gaming News recently interviewed Atle Hamar, General Director of the Norwegian Gaming Authority.