Best Online Casinos in Norway

Introduction: Review of the best online casinos in Norway

The Norwegian Gambling Act of 2009 states that "gambling may only be available online if it is provided by a licensed operator." This means that in order to offer gambling services on the Internet, operators must be licensed by the Norwegian government. However, there are no licenses for Internet gambling providers.

Norwegian authorities have also forbidden companies to advertise their gambling products or services through e-mail, phone calls or text messages. It is an offense punishable by up to two years in prison if.

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Norway is one of the few countries in the world that has legalized online gambling. This means that Norwegians can play casinos and bet on sports from the comfort of their homes.

Norwegian players have many options when it comes to online casinos. They can choose from many different casino sites and find the one that suits them best. There are casinos for those who like slot machines, for those who like table games, or for those who prefer roulette or poker.

Norway is one of the first countries in Europe to legalize online gambling, which means it has been around longer than other European countries like France or Italy.

Best slot machines at online casinos in Norway

Slot machines are the most popular casino game in Norway. They are also the most popular casino games in the world. There is a wide range of slot machines to choose from, which means there is something for everyone.

Some of the best online casinos in Norway are Norskespilleautomater, LeoVegas Casino and Betsson Casino. These casinos offer a variety of slot machines with different themes and levels of difficulty.

The best gambling video slots are those that offer the highest payout odds. Payout ratios are often listed on the machine and can be as high as 95%. A player can find a good payout ratio by looking for slot machines with a high percentage of RTP (return to player).

Slot machines are designed to make the player feel like he is winning. This means that the casino pays out more than it receives. The best slot machines also offer a variety of themes that keep players interested and entertained.

Gambling in Norway

Norway is a Scandinavian country with one of the strictest gambling laws in the entire world. Only certain areas of gambling are allowed within the state, and all of them are strictly controlled by the authorities with three main laws: lottery, betting and gambling laws.

Only two companies have official permission to provide gambling entertainment: Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto. However, their main activity is not a casino, but the organization of racing, keno draws and betting on sporting events. Land-based casinos have never been, do not exist and are not expected to be established in Norway.

Currently, there are about 1,200 places across Norway where you can play MULTI slots. The total number of modified machines is about 2,750 pieces. To play them, you must have an account, an appropriate credit card and a document proving your age - at least 18 years.

As for online gambling, there are only two official sites where Norwegians are allowed by law to play:

• Norsk Riskoto site - allows betting on horse racing;
• Norsk Tipping (KongKasino) site - offering lotteries, sports betting, online slots, poker, keno and scratch cards.

Despite such tight restrictions, Norway is in third place for the number of gambling citizens in Europe. A large number of online casinos and entertainment portals around the world happily accept Norwegians.

Peculiarities of Norwegian gambling regulation

Until the twentieth century, there was not a single casino in Norway. All this time most types of gambling were considered illegal. Only in 1927 the totalizators law was adopted by the authorities and the first legal precedent to legalize the gambling industry was created.

Exactly 20 years later (in 1947) the state company Norsk Tipping was established, which at that time specialized exclusively in the organization of lotteries. In 1992 when the Gaming Act was passed this company was given monopoly control of all lotteries, sports betting and other legal gambling. Today, Norsk Tipping controls gaming through mobile apps and the Internet. However, in order to get access to the content of the state monopoly, players need to go through the registration procedure and get a Playcard.

Norsk Rikstoto is a younger company on the Norwegian gambling market. It was established in 1982 to legally launch the V6 sweepstakes. In 1996, the firm received the legal right to run all betting in Norway.

The following types of gambling are allowed in the state:

• lotteries;
• scratch games;
• Horse racing betting;
• IVT - interactive video terminals;
• poker;
• keno;
• bingo.

Legislation regulating gambling in Norway

The entire gambling industry in Norway is regulated by three pieces of legislation:

• Totalisator Act of 1927;
• Gaming Act of 1992;
• Lottery Act of 1995.

According to these laws all the exclusive rights to provide most types of offline and online gambling belong to the state companies Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto. Although there is a strictly limited right for private operators to apply for a lottery and gambling license. However, they are not entitled to request a full license.

Legislation in Norway prohibits providing any form of gambling entertainment without an appropriate license for it. What is interesting, the citizens themselves are not forbidden to participate in unlicensed gambling activities. That is, it is not a crime for Norwegians to visit sites that do not have a gambling license.

Persons under 18 years of age are strictly prohibited from participating in any form of gambling entertainment, except scratch cards.

The gambling business in Norway is controlled by four authorities:

• Norwegian Gaming Authority - responsible for the supervision and control of private operators. It issues and revokes licenses, certificates and permits for gambling activities, as well as imposes administrative sanctions for violations of the relevant legislation;
• The Ministry of Culture - regulates the "lottery" and "gaming" acts. Also this regulator can issue general instructions to gambling;
• The Ministry of Agriculture and Food - oversees the implementation of the law "on sweepstakes" and issues general instructions applicable to gambling;
• Lottery Committee (Lotterinemnda) - an independent administrative body appointed by the Ministry of Culture. It is the court of appeal for administrative decisions under the Lottery Law.

Licensing Conditions in the Gambling Industry

Almost the entire gambling industry in Norway is a monopoly of two companies: Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto. However, commercial organizations can also apply for a lottery license. According to the Lottery Act, they can apply for a license for the following activities:

• Post-raffle and pre-raffle lotteries drawn up by the Norwegian Gaming Center or other public authority;
• lotteries drawn up by a commercial operator;
• organization of a poker tournament. A license is issued to hold an annual Norwegian championship in three types of tournament poker and to hold five regional qualifying championships;
• bingo;
• preliminary drafting of scratch cards;
• gambling activities on Norwegian ships;
• slot machines.

Activities not requiring a license:

• Lotteries with an annual turnover of more than 200,000 NOK (Norwegian kroner), provided they have humanitarian and socially beneficial purposes. However, if organizations use commercial companies to arrange their activities on their behalf, a license is required;
• Bazaar, where the maximum prize is 8,000 NOK, the maximum bet is 5 NOK and the total value of all winnings is a maximum of 40,000 NOK;
• Private poker tournaments, which are held in private homes between people from the same social circle, provided that they are not of a "professional nature". Participants must be at least 18 years old, the number of participants - less than ten, and the maximum bet per player - 1 000 NOK.

Licenses are issued by the Norwegian Gaming Center. The conditions for obtaining them are:

• The company must submit a certificate of no criminal record for the chairmen of the board of directors and the CEO. This certificate proves that they have not been guilty of any crimes related to violation of the Lottery Act;
• the company must be solvent;
• it must be registered with the NCCRLE.

The processing time for a license application is about three months. The duration and cost of each license depends on the type of activity for which it is given:

• Post-raffle and pre-raffle lotteries drawn up by the Norwegian Gaming Centre or another public authority cost NOK 3,000 and are valid for one year;
• lotteries drawn up by a commercial operator - 30,000 NOK with an annual fee of 20,000 NOK until the end of the validity period (9 years);
• organisation of a poker tournament - NOK 10,000. Annual fee of 60,000 NOK. Expiry period - 3 years;
• bingo - 1,250 NOK, valid for one year;
• preliminary scratch card making - 6,000 NOK.

Other fees:

• organization approval fee - 1,000 NOK;
• commercial operator approval fee - 20 000 NOK;
• Property owner approval fee - 1,200 NOK.

Online gambling in Norway

Online gambling in Norway is subject to the same laws and regulations as offline gambling. Advertising and virtual gambling activities are prohibited without an appropriate license.

Only two state-owned companies have exclusive rights to provide online gambling entertainment. Norsk Riskoto's website allows betting on horse racing and Norsk Tipping offers lotteries, slot machines, sports betting, poker, keno and scratch cards. The norsk-tipping site is the first online casino created by Norsk Tipping that operates with permission from the authorities.

However, officially allowed sites have quite severe restrictions, so most Norwegian citizens prefer to visit unlicensed sites. In addition to not having any restrictions, many of them have a Norwegian interface and accept Norwegian kroner (NOK).

At the service of players:

1. 189 online casinos;
2. 22 sites dedicated to online poker;
3. 35 online sports betting platforms;
4. 33 portals with bingo;
5. 26 mobile casinos;
6. 5 online lottery platforms;
7. 4 DFS sites.

The game of poker is very popular among Norwegians. However, due to very strict laws, players are forced to turn to various online portals. Popular poker rooms with a Norwegian interface include:

Popular slot machines in Norway

In Norway, slot machines produced by NetEnt and IGT are especially popular. A selection of the five most popular models:

1. Hall Of Gods is a 5-reel machine by NetEnt. It has 20 paylines, special symbols, freespins, a bonus game and a three-tier progressive jackpot;
2. Texas Tea is a slot machine with five reels and nine paylines from studio IGT. The game involves two special symbols: scatter and bonus. There is also a bonus round;
3. Tripple Red Hot 777 is a popular slot company IGT. It has three classic reels and five paylines. The game has a wild, which brings additional multipliers, as well as a bonus picture that triggers free spins with additional features;
4. Cats is a 5-reel machine with 30 paylines. Its developer is also a company called IGT. The game is characterized by double symbols and free spins;
5. Cash Coaster is a slot with five reels and thirty fixed paylines. The manufacturer is the IGT studio. This model has free spins, special symbols, Roller Coaster Wild option and other interesting features.

Norwegian developers of gambling software

Despite the strictness of gambling laws, Norway can boast of some renowned software developers. For example, Funcom, which began its existence in 1993. Since then, it has developed and released more than 25 games for various platforms. The most famous are MMORPGs Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures and Anarchy Online, as well as The Longest Journey series.

Prospects for gambling business in Norway

The Norwegian gambling industry has come quite a long way. If in the 1950s gambling in the country was perceived as something unworthy, today Norway ranks third in Europe on the level of gambling.

Recently, the government has directed its attention and resources to the fight against gambling addiction. This, in fact, is the reasoning behind such strict prohibitions and laws regulating gambling establishments in Norway. But this strategy was not very effective. This is shown by the data of researches made by analysts of Norwegian Gaming Board in 2007 and 2010. The number of addicted players during this period of time increased from 1.3% to 2.1%.

On top of everything else, the Norwegian government was planning to start blocking foreign online casino sites by IP. But given the negative mood of citizens, this idea was abandoned. There is a suggestion that sooner or later the gambling market will still open to foreign operators that will compete with state-owned companies and replenish the Norwegian treasury tax deductions. In any case, gambling business in Norway shows good results in its development.

The legality of land and online casinos in Norway

In Norway, gambling is regulated by three legislative acts: the Gaming Scheme Act, the Lottery Act and the Totalizator Act. The country has a state monopoly on gambling. The Norwegian Gaming Authority (or Lotteri-og stiftelsestilsynet) is the regulatory body.

There are no land-based casinos in the traditional sense. The state-owned company North Tipping has a license for online gambling entertainment. The sweepstakes, horse racing and horse racing are controlled by the gambling monopoly North Rikstoto.

Norway promotes responsible gambling rules and has limits on player spending.

Norwegian Regulatory Authority and Legislation

The country has a state monopoly on gambling. The operators are supervised by the regulatory authority Lottery-helsetilsynet (the Norwegian Gaming Authority, hereinafter referred to as the Authority).

The Authority reports to the Ministry of Culture and the King himself. The Authority issues permits to contractors to organize lottery and bingo, keeps records of organizations and monitors their activities.

Gambling entertainment is regulated by three major Acts:

• The Gaming Scheme Act, enacted August 28, 1992, regulates the establishment of state gaming companies;
• Lottery Act (Lottery Act), in force since February 24, 1995 - establishes the department regulations, the main responsibilities of the regulator and the Ministry of Culture, regulates the organization of lotteries and other gambling activities in Norway;
• Totalizator Act (Totalizator Act), which exists since January 7, 1927 - regulates the operation of racecourses and the procedure for betting on horse racing.

Virtual sport in Norway is not legally regulated.

In accordance with the norms of the Lotteries Act:

• The Chairman of the Authority is appointed by the King;
• The activities of companies related to gambling are regulated;
• Duties of the Ministry of Culture (hereinafter referred to as the Ministry) are established;
• An Appeals Commission is established under the Ministry and is responsible for reviewing complaints;
• The King may restrict or extend the operation of the Act to certain types of games or territories.

The power to impose restrictions on the operation of regulations on ships of the Kingdom in foreign or Norwegian ports belongs to the Ministry.

The duties of the regulator include:

• Establish application processing rules and general business rules;
• Limit the activities of service providers financially;
• Monitor compliance with rules, distribution of prizes, and disposition of unreleased winnings;
• Require and monitor business accounting for compliance with the Accounting Act;
• Regulate organizers, operators, owners, manufacturers and suppliers of gambling terminals and gambling halls;
• Establish additional rules and regulations regarding permit revocation, prosecution or penalties for illegal activities;
• The amount of the annual fee for placing prize or merchandise machines in Norway and the amount of drawing fees shall be determined by the Ministry.

Peculiarities of Norwegian gambling licensing

The Gambling Schemes Act regulates the establishment and operation of companies established under the auspices of the state. Joint stock companies with a statutory fund of 150,000 crowns get the right to operate.

The capital is divided into equal parts worth 50,000 kronor each. The Crown is the main shareholder.

The laws prescribe a list of permitted entertainment:

1. Lotteries (traditional, instant, digital and their varieties);
2. Internet casinos (card games, roulette casino online game, blackjack);
3. betting on races and sporting events.

Profits from gambling entertainment are used to develop socially significant projects.

Foreign or private enterprises cannot become shareholders in state enterprises. Unreliable persons or those convicted of intentional crimes cannot be on the board of the joint-stock company.

The enterprises are managed by a board of five members. The chairman and deputy are appointed by the King for two years. The chairman can participate in the shareholders' meeting, but has no voting rights.

The line ministry establishes the rules for raffles and the payment of winnings. The King can change the size of the share capital, determine the amounts of winnings and the share of the state.

Exceptions are organizations that register lotteries, bingo and poker tournaments for charitable purposes. Private businesses have the right to become distributors of services of monopoly companies.

Legislation does not separate service providers for online casinos and land-based establishments. Service businesses must be approved by the Authority.

Licensing of Land-based Gambling Establishments

No private Norwegian or foreign company can obtain a license to open a land-based establishment (gambling hall or bookmaker's office) to conduct gambling entertainment.

North Tipping controls slot machine halls and points of distribution of tickets for national lotteries. North Rikstoto regulates the activities of betting shops.

The opening of race tracks is subject to licensing. The term of the license is 5 years. Licensing takes place in accordance with the rules approved by the Ministry of Agriculture.

The management of racetracks can not be persons:

• Those previously convicted of criminal offenses;
• Giving reasons to assume inadequate management of the company.

Certificates of no criminal record are issued in accordance with the provisions of § 40 Lov om behandling av opplysninger i politiet og påtalemyndigheten (Police Registration Act). Any change in the composition of the company's board must be reported immediately to the State of Norway.

There are seven racecourses operating under license in Norway:

• Momarken Travbane;
• Drammen Racecourse;
• Bergen Travpark;
• Forus Travbane;;
• Leangen Travbane;
• Bjerke Travbane.

Race organizers are obliged to inform the state about the races (electronically).

North Rikstoto controls the acceptance of bets on the approved schemes. Amount of winnings is determined by the regulator and the amount of deductions to the country - the King. Acceptance of bets is allowed only on the results of races.

Norwegian Online Casino Licensing

The only KongKasino gaming platform offering online gambling entertainment (including casinos, slot machines and lotteries) is controlled by North Tipping. Traditional casino table games (blackjack, baccarat, bingo and roulette) in Norway operate only in the online version.

It is impossible to get a private license to provide casino services online or other gambling establishments (except bingo). It is prohibited for both residents and non-residents of the country.

Any foreign software providers and internet gaming operators are banned. Withdrawal of funds from illegal casinos has been blocked since 2010. Banks have received strict directives concerning such operations.

Licensing of the private gambling sector

Private businesses can apply for a license to operate lottery and bingo in land-based or online establishments. The department registers and approves applicants.

Another exception to the monopoly is the organization of poker tournaments. For poker, licenses are issued for 3 years. Draws with an annual turnover of up to NOK 200,000 do not require licensing. Instant scratch cards are prohibited.

Authorization for large draws (with a turnover of more than 200 thousand NOK) and poker tournaments are entitled to organizations and associations for humanitarian or public benefit purposes.

Organizers of any private draws are required to electronically notify the Office 14 days prior to the draws. Winnings are recommended to be set at 25% of the amount received from the sale of tickets.

Application forms for registration of applicants are available on the regulator's website. Lotteries and bingo must be based on the rules of traditional raffles. The organizer pays a one-time fee of 1,300 NOK for registering a permit.

Restrictions for online casino players

When registering at KongKasino, the system asks players to set their own spending limits and adhere to the rules of responsible gaming. Lotteries are available from 6:00 to 3:00, other entertainment - from 7:00 to 3:00.

The platform offers 157 types of entertainment. There are no welcome bonuses at online casinos in Norway. Slots rules can be very different from the international ones.

Restrictions for land-based players

In 2008, slot machines were replaced by MULTIX slots in all land-based venues. The maximum win on the machine with cash prizes is 300 NOK. The maximum bet is 50 NOK.

You can spend 400 NOK per day but no more than 2,400 NOK per month on the machines. If a player spends more than an hour playing, the system offers a break. There are about 2,700 MULTIX slots across the country.

Terminals are connected by a single network and transmit data to the Gaming Authority in real time. Player and transaction information is stored for one year.

Prohibited types of gambling

Pyramids and roulette are banned in Norway under international rules. There are no land-based casinos in the traditional sense.

Poker is limited to the number of players at the table (no more than 10) and the amount of bets (up to 1,000 kroner). Tournaments are held only with the permission of the Authority, for charitable purposes. Online poker is prohibited.

Arbitration, protection of players' rights and contact details of the Addiction Help Centers

In Norway it is allowed to visit land-based gambling establishments, participate in lotteries and online casino gambling entertainment from the age of 18 years. Organizers must comply with the norms of responsible gaming established by the regulator.

Players are required to register a Buypass card, which is protected by a personal PIN. It allows identifying the visitor in any gambling establishment in Norway.

Appeals of online casino visitors are handled by KongKasino's support service. It is available daily:

• From 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. at +47 625 07 770;
• From 8:00 to 20:00 on the website and social media pages.

State companies and the Office should report:

• illegal incidents;
• winnings claims;
• problems with services or products;
• financial crimes and fraud;
• discrimination or corruption;
• harassment;
• ethics violations.

Complaints may be made anonymously. Complaints are accepted electronically or in writing.

For addicted players there is the Hjelpelinjen helpline +47 800 800 40. The organization's email address is [email protected]. The addresses of help centers in different parts of Norway are available on the website.

There is an online addiction treatment program and support groups Anonyme Gamblere Norge and Spillavhengighet - Norge. Gamblers can get a referral for treatment from a family doctor. Addiction problems are dealt with by public clinics in Norway free of charge.

Technical support and measures to prevent gambling addiction in Norway

When registering at an online casino, the KongKasino system asks players to set their own spending limits and adhere to the rules of responsible gambling.

Spending limits apply:

• The maximum spending limit per month is 20,000 kroner;
• In instant online lotteries the limit is NOK 10,000 per month or NOK 400 per day;
• The monthly spending limit for Multix game slots is NOK 2,700 (650 kroner per day) and for Bingoria games it is NOK 4,400 (or 900 kroner per day).

The wager per line is limited. Winnings at online casinos in Norway that exceed 10,000 kronor are automatically transferred to the player's registered bank account. The Play Scan system monitors participants' actions and informs them of the risk of becoming addicted to gambling.

The Hjelpelinjen helpline is available to help addicted players and their families. Contacts: phone +47 800 800 40, e-mail [email protected] A list of centers offering help in different parts of Norway is available on the website.

The three-month online addiction treatment program consists of weekly assignments and phone calls. In Norway there are support groups for addicts Spillavhengighet - Norge and Anonyme Gamblere Norge.

To get a referral for treatment, players can go to a family doctor. Problems of addiction are dealt with in public clinics in Norway, where addicts are provided with free qualified assistance.

In online casinos, players are authorized. It is possible to identify oneself in several ways:

• By using an electronic identifier from Buypass;
• By entering a username, password and code received in an SMS;
• by logging into the Norsk Tipping mobile app and providing a Buypass ID;
• through the Buypass ID mobile app, date of birth and the code received by SMS.

The player card requires a card reader and the use of a personal PIN. The apps can be found in the App Store (iOS phone) or Play Store (Android phone). Visa cards are serviced.

To report violations of player's rights in online casinos in Norway you can go to the website of the regulator or to KongKasino gambling portal support

Lottery Management

• Address: Storehagen 1B, PO Box 800, 6805 Førd;
• Phone: +47 992 84 309;
• Email: [email protected].

State Lottery Agency

• Address: Måsåbekkvegen 20, 2315 Hamar;
• Telephone: +47 625 14 000;
• Email: [email protected].

How to evade the law without breaking the law

Although the previous comments may have stated otherwise, it is indeed possible to gamble legally in Norway either on Norsk Tipping or through a licensed overseas platform if Norwegian players are approved. Several reputable offshore bookmakers, gambling sites and casinos still welcome customers from Norway. Lawmakers may call them "illegal" activities, but they operate effectively in full compliance with the applicable rules of the place where they are located.

In fact, the legal issue in Norway is not as serious as Norsk Riskoto and Tipping suggested. The truth is that most people still play on "offshore" gambling sites in Norway, and activity here is as high as ever. Hundreds of gambling platforms around the world accept Norwegians.

Whenever you plan to use a foreign site, just make sure its license is valid. Note that they also have Norwegian services, many even handle payments in Norwegian kroner and present games in bukmole and nynorsk, and they have strong customer support relationships. If you fully understand that this is a safe place to play, feel free to legally enjoy your online games.

The most popular cities in Norway for gambling

Norway is a large country with a rather small population compared to some other European countries.

Nevertheless, gambling is a popular recreational activity, and the demand for real money games on desktop and mobile devices has grown in the last five years.

That being said, some Norwegians gamble more than others, and there are patterns in the country that show the most popular cities for online gambling and those that don't gamble often. The cities with the most gambling in Norway include:

1. Oslo;
2. Bergen;
3. Trondheim;
4. Stavanger;
5. Kristiansand.

Players who live in these cities regularly gamble online and regularly play casino games for money, including slot machines, roulette, video poker, blackjack and other great games.

One important point to note as a Norwegian player is that since player protection is almost non-existent in foreign online casinos, it is crucial to make sure that you are playing at a reliable and reputable casino site.

Therefore, it is helpful to get recommendations on where to play online casino games and only play at a regulated casino that treats all players fairly and honestly, regardless of whether they live in Norway or another country.

Conclusion Review of the best online casinos in Norway

So, in conclusion, the laws don't really reflect the reality in Norway. You have a choice of hundreds of foreign operators offering online betting and gambling. Of course, considering the risk, as in the case of losing money or fraud, the state authorities and the law will not be able to protect your rights.

It is an interesting fact that today Norway has the third highest level of gambling in Europe. A fact that once again shows that strict laws are not really an obstacle for enthusiasts.

In the Scandinavian state, the legalization of foreign operators is more and more discussed. This is due to the fact that Internet gambling is still widespread these days. Legalization will lead to the registration of new companies and additional tax revenues. It will also offer a more competitive market and safer options for consumers.