Norwegians have long been fans of online casinos, but since the Norwegian authorities banned land-based slot machines in 2007, their popularity has grown significantly. Today, more than 50 billion kroner is traded in Norway annually on gambling, and foreign bookmakers are taking an increasing share of this money.
This has also meant that foreign bookmakers have become more attentive to politicians, but this does not seem to affect the desire to gamble among Norwegians. However, it does mean that many Norwegians prefer well-known players to the many new ones that constantly appear online in Norway. For example, the casino https://norwaykryptocasino.com/krypto-oddsen/ has long been one of the most popular operators for Norwegians who gamble online with cryptocurrency. Slots and video poker are still the most popular in Norway, followed by betting and live dealer casinos.
The Norwegian gaming market
As we mentioned earlier, the Norwegian gaming market currently has an annual turnover of over 50 billion, which is very attractive for foreign bookmakers to participate. They were also able to do this thanks to one of the conditions of the EEA agreement that Norway signed. It stipulates that all European companies can offer their services in different member states if similar services already exist in the country.
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In other words, European gaming companies can offer their services in Norway if there is already a similar player on the Norwegian market (Norsk Tipping). It is with this interpretation of the law that the Norwegian authorities and international bookmakers disagree. The authorities represented by the Lotteries and Funds Authority and the Ministry of Culture believe that this does not apply as long as Norway has a state monopoly on gambling.
The way forward
Denmark opened its gaming market in 2012 in the form of partial market regulation. The Danes decided to keep Danske Spel (the state gaming company), but only as a competitor to private players on equal terms. This means that players can choose where they want to play, and the government still has the opportunity to maintain its role as the leading player in the market.
Sweden, for its part, fully opened its market in 2019, which led to a number of players applying for licenses to legally offer their games to Swedish players. This also provided a new source of revenue for the Swedish authorities, something that the Norwegian authorities are losing in Norway.
Will the monopoly survive?
There is no doubt that it is becoming increasingly difficult for the Norwegian authorities to protect the state monopoly as countries around us open up to regulated markets, but that does not seem to stop them from trying. Back in May 2021, then-Prime Minister Erna Solberg confirmed that the Conservative Party would vote to maintain the long-standing monopoly of Norsk Tipping for another term. This led to further protests from industry organizations and players, but it seems that the Norwegian authorities have no intention of opening up anytime soon.