Norsk Tipping has been ordered by Norway’s gambling regulator to introduce additional controls and individual checks on the number of players using its online casino platform.
Ordered by Atle Hamar, the Director General of Lotteritsilsynet (Lottstift), the regulator expressed concerns over the rapid increase in engagement of casino players, and the potential rise in rates of problem gambling.
Lottstift expressed its concern in its latest “sustainability and accountability” report submitted to the Ministry of Culture.
Hamar explained: ”In five years, the number of online casino players at Norsk Tipping has doubled. Lottstift is particularly concerned that young players may develop gambling problems.”
Scrutiny has turned to the popularity of Norsk Tipping’s KongKasino brand that has witnessed an increase from 200,000 players in 2020 to 400,000 players by 2025 – in which “50,000 new customers were activated in 2025”.
Channelisation balance
The warning forms part of a broader assessment by Norwegian authorities over how to balance channelisation objectives with player protection responsibilities.
“We are particularly concerned about the interest in casino games among young people, and whether more will have gambling problems in a few years,” Hamar noted.
“There is a risk that more players will gamble more, even if they are stopped by the loss limits at Norsk Tipping, and that they will end up with illegal, foreign operators.”
Lottstift has continued to view Norway’s monopoly framework, operated by Norsk Tipping and horse racing operator Rikstoto, as being effective in directing consumers toward regulated gambling channels.
The authority has estimated that foreign operators account for between 12%-14% of Norway’s total gambling market, representing approximately 13% market share based on Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR).
Yet across gambling products directly competing with foreign operators – including sports betting, casino games and horse racing wagering – regulators estimate that foreign operators command 31% of the market share, compared to 55% for Norsk Tipping and 14% for Norsk Rikstoto.
Authorities believe that these verticals require greater scrutiny as policymakers attempt to maintain channelisation rates while strengthening consumer safeguards.
Lottstift also highlighted concerns around younger demographics entering regulated gambling for the first time. Regulators note that some consumers may already arrive with established gambling behaviours shaped through gaming engagements and exposure to gambling-related content online.
The authority further warned that greater casino engagement could increase the risk of players migrating toward illegal offshore operators once regulated spending limits are reached.
In response, Lotteritilsynet has proposed stronger proactive interventions and greater friction measures for higher-risk gambling products.
One proposal under consideration would require players to complete mandatory information modules and risk-awareness prompts before accessing casino products. Lottstift believes stronger educational measures could help consumers make more informed decisions when engaging with higher-risk gambling formats.
The inspectorate also pointed to positive developments within Norsk Tipping’s responsibility framework. Following regulatory pressure to improve self-exclusion visibility as total registrations increased by 200% in 2025.
For Norwegian authorities, the challenge now centres on ensuring Norsk Tipping remains sufficiently attractive to maintain channelisation objectives without allowing casino growth to become a protection problem.
Hamar’s statement concluded: “Norsk Tipping takes players from the foreign market year after year. The Norwegian Gambling Authority’s measurements show that fewer players are playing with foreign companies. In 2025, 2.6 percent played with foreign companies, while the figure was 3.8 percent in 2024.”
Norway still exposed
The accountability segment of the report submitted to the Ministry of Culture further details that Norwegian players are estimated to have lost approximately NOK 1.9bn (€165m) to foreign gambling operators during 2025.
The loss figure stands around NOK 500m (€43m) above 2024 estimates, though Lotteritilsynet cautioned that methodological changes to its market calculations make direct year-on-year comparisons difficult.
The Ministry of Culture has continued to reject calls from European trade bodies to review the regulatory terms underpinning Norway’s online gambling framework, which grants exclusive rights to state-owned firms.
While Norway participates in the European Economic Area (EEA), it is not a member of the EU and therefore does not fall under all EU competition obligations.
The Storting maintains the independence to afford state-owned enterprises such as Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto are justified on public interest grounds, in which both organisations raise funds for public sports and welfare projects overseen by the Ministry of Culture.