Norwegian gambling regulator issues new lottery licences
Norway’s gambling regulator has renewed licences for Pantelotteriet and the Postcode Lottery, extending their operations until 2035
Norway.- The Norwegian gambling regulator, Lottstift, has issued new operating licences to Pantelotteriet and the Postcode Lottery. The permits are valid for a nine-year term, taking effect on March 1 and running until February 28, 2035. Approved organisations can have a maximum turnover of NOK410m (US$40.7m) annually (with an annual adjustment according to the consumer price index).
The regulator has significantly expanded the Postcode Lottery scheme, increasing the number of licence-holders from two to 23. Meanwhile, a single licence for Pantelotteriet was granted to the Norwegian Red Cross. Beneficiaries under the Postcode Lottery umbrella include SOS Children’s Villages, WWF, Save the Children, Norwegian Church Aid and Norwegian People’s Aid.
Tore Bell, deputy director general at the Lottstift., said: “It is new this year that the Postcode Lottery is applying to offer gambling for 23 organisations. In the past, there have been two. Only the Postcode Lottery, the Pantelottery and the organisations they are affiliated with applied for a licence for this period. In total, two licences have thus been granted, divided into 23 and one organisation.”
Both lotteries operate under a similar revenue distribution model. For Pantelotteriet, 50 per cent of net proceeds after prizes are allocated to the Norwegian Red Cross. The Postcode Lottery will also distribute 50 per cent of net proceeds among its 23 participating organisations.
Pantelotteriet is a recycling-based lottery integrated into bottle and can return systems. It allows consumers to choose between a cash deposit refund or converting the value into lottery entries upon returning recyclable containers.
