Norway
Even though the Norwegian government is still doing its best to prevent locals from wagering on foreign betting sites, many offshore sportsbooks are still available for NO bettors.
🇳🇴 Legal sports betting apps in Norway:
Online sports betting in Norway - Despite monopoly, offshore sportsbooks are available
Although close geographically, Scandinavian countries have independent and diverse regulations regarding gambling. Norway, in particular, had a staunch prohibition against all types of betting until wagering on horse race wagering was permitted in 1927 under the Norsk Rikstoto. However, other types of sports betting and gambling were permitted as late as 1992 with the implementation of the Gaming Scheme Act (GSA).
With this 1992 act, Norsk Tipping was officially authorized to carry out sports betting, national lotteries, poker games, and other forms of gambling. This legislation created the two state-owned monopolies currently controlling the entire gambling industry. The Norwegian Gambling and Foundation Authority (Lotteritilsynet) regulates both of these bodies, and profits go toward sports and cultural projects.
All this means that the two state-owned gambling bodies monopolize all iGaming and sports betting in the country. As such, foreign gambling or betting platforms cannot legally operate in the Norwegian market. However, this does not stop locals from wagering using many offshore casinos, betting sites, and sportsbook apps, as the legal restrictions placed by the Norwegian government apply to these operators rather than the individuals themselves.
While Norsk Tipping monopolizes sports bets and gaming, another state-controlled company, Norsk Rikstoto, controls the horse racing gambling market in the country. Both of these bodies are regulated by The Norwegian Gambling and Foundation Authority, and profits go toward sports and cultural projects.
So, in a nutshell, Norwegians can definitely place wagers on online betting sites operating with offshore licenses, such as the ones from Malta and Curacao. Money transfers to and from these foreign betting sites face some restrictions, not due to legality but to safeguard Norsk Tipping's domestic gambling monopoly. These transactions do not violate any laws, but consulting a tax expert is advisable to understand applicable tax regulations for significant winnings.
Many Norwegian bettors use third-party apps, like PayPal, ecoPayz, and e-wallets, to process payments. Although local authorities theoretically prohibit these activities, the government has yet to take action against offenders.
Sports betting legislation in Norway
| Is online sports betting legal in Norway? | Legal (restricted) |
| Is in-person sports betting legal? | Legal (restricted) |
| Is daily fantasy sports legal? | No |
| Is horse racing betting legal? | Legal (restricted) |
| Is political betting legal? | Yes |
| Is eSports betting legal? | Legal (restricted) |
| How many legal sports betting apps are there in Norway? | Dozens |
| Legal age for sports betting in Norway? | 18+ |
| Norway's tax rate for betting/gambling winnings | 27% (if the win is over 10,000 NOK - otherwise 0%) |
| Who regulates sports betting in Norway? | The Gaming and Foundation Authority (Lotteritilsynet) |
With the implementation of the Gaming Act in 1992, the Norwegian government officially legalized online sports betting. However, they anointed only two state-owned sites as the permitted bodies in the same act. Through Norsk Tipping, bettors can enjoy an array of sports betting, including eSports markets, whereas Norsk Rikstoto offers locals the opportunity to bet on horse races.
When foreign sports betting apps and sites are included in the mix, the wagering options and available markets are tenfold, and there aren’t really any categories of bets that are not offered.
While DFS is illegal in the country, Norwegians can still access regular fantasy games, such as Elitserien Fantasy, which covers the nation’s top-tier soccer league.
Recent updates from the Norwegian sports betting scene
June 17, 2024: The defending Fed-Ex champion Viktor Hovland has qualified to represent Norway in the 2024 Summer Olympic men's golf competition in Paris on August 1-4 alongside his countryman Kris Ventura. Online sportsbook Unibet ranks the aforementioned Norwegian golf star among the TOP10 favorites to win the event with the odds +1600.
May 19, 2024: Manchester City's Norwegian superstar Erling Haaland wins the Premier League Golden Boot award for the second time in a row after scoring 27 goals in the 2023-24 season. This was the first solo back-to-back Golden Boot victory after Harry Kane notched the same feat in 2015-17.
March 31, 2024: The 2024 Eliteserien season starts with Bodø/Glimt as the defending champions and Fredrikstad, Kristiansund, and KFUM Oslo as the newly promoted clubs. This is the 80th season of top-tier soccer in the country.
March 26, 2024: Norway fails to qualify for the UEFA Euro 2024 final tournament after securing only 11 points from the eight qualifying matches and reaching the third spot in the qualifying group A. Spain won the group with 21 points, and the latter qualification spot went to Scotland, totaling 17 points. Norway has failed to qualify for 12 last final tournaments when including the World Cup in the mix.
January 25, 2024: The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and the Norwegian Industry Association for Online Gaming (NBO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate to establish a safe licensing and regulatory regime framework focusing on betting integrity provisions. Both organizations advocate for Norway to move away from its gambling monopoly system.
All legal gambling options in Norway
| Are online casinos legal in Norway? | Legal (restricted) |
| Are retail casinos legal? | No |
| Are social casinos legal? | Yes |
| Is online poker legal? | Legal (restricted) |
| Is the lottery legal? | Legal (restricted) |
Through Norsk Tipping, NO bettors can enjoy various online casino games, including virtual slots, live tables, and card games. If you broaden the view to the offshore online casinos that accept Norwegians as customers, the selection of real-money games will be drastically larger.
Online poker is also fully legal in Norway. However, as Norsk Tipping does not yet offer an online poker platform for Norwegians, local poker enthusiasts have been forced to play at foreign poker sites.
The national lottery is also available through Norsk Tipping.
Other gambling-related news & stories from Norway
April 4, 2024: Norway's stringent gambling regulations could affect international players using Norwegian bank accounts for online betting, as European gambling laws differ significantly by country, with some requiring operators to have a license and others being more permissive.
February 13, 2024: Norway's Gambling Authority, Lotteritilsynet, orders Tiergarten Marketing Ltd, the operator of popular entertainment content platform Schpell.com, to halt all marketing in the country due to violations of gambling advertising laws after Norwegian influencers advertised online casino games on live stream broadcasts.
November 27, 2023: Tonje Sagstuen, a seasoned executive, is promoted to managing director at Norsk Tipping after serving as interim director since September 2023.
October 23, 2023: Norway proposes new legislation to enforce DNS blocking, aiming to safeguard its gambling monopoly by blocking access to offshore gambling websites targeting local consumers. The measure, approved by the cabinet after two years of deliberation, aims to strengthen Norway's control over its gambling monopoly.
Norway - Some commonly asked questions (FAQ)
What is the current legal status of sports betting in Norway?
Norway has a unique gambling monopoly system where two state-owned entities are responsible for all betting-related activities. However, as wagering at offshore sportsbooks isn't deemed illegal, many Norwegians opt to wager on such apps and sites instead.
What changes does Norway's sports betting legislation currently face?
The public debate about the effectiveness of Norway's gambling monopoly is growing, as Norwegians quite broadly favor offshore operators. While no legislative changes have been presented, the country will likely move to a licensing system at some point.
How much money do Norwegians spend on gambling?
According to studies, Norwegians spend NOK2,866 ($269.25) annually on the country's gambling monopoly's games. However, one research also shows that 67% of Norwegians opt to wager on offshore gambling sites, so the total amount spent on betting is unclear.
Who are the biggest Norwegian sports stars right now?
The 2023 PGA Tour FedEx Cup winner Viktor Hovland was named the Norwegian Sportsperson of the Year in 2023. Karsten Warholm, Jakob Ingebrigtsen (track and field), and Erling Haaland (soccer) are other current superstars of Norwegian sports.
