Norway's potential dismantling of the gambling monopoly looms?
Norway continues to maintain a strict gambling monopoly, with legal gambling activities limited to Norsk Tipping AS and Norsk Rikstoto under the Norwegian Gambling Act. The Norwegian regulator Lotteritilsynet actively blocks unlicensed operators, having recently ordered the blocking of 57 illegal online gambling sites in April 2025 [1][2]. As of mid-2025, there is no comprehensive legislative push documented in these sources that indicates an imminent abolition of the gambling monopoly in Norway; existing policies show continued support for the state-controlled model.
In a notable development, the Norwegian Online Gaming Association (NBO) and the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) have formed a partnership. The IBIA, a non-profit organization founded in 2005 and described as the leading voice on integrity for licensed betting operators, aims to work together with the NBO to introduce a secure and effective licensing and regulation system for gambling in Norway. However, there is no current public evidence from the provided data of significant moves to abolish this monopoly or the specific impacts of this collaboration.
The IBIA's role typically includes promoting integrity and combating betting-related corruption, which could help improve transparency and trustworthiness in Norway’s regulated gambling market should a partnership be active or forthcoming. Khalid Ali, CEO of the IBIA, supports the NBO's fight against the state gambling monopoly in Norway.
Meanwhile, in Finland, the government's sole provider of gambling services is Veikkaus. Various studies have recommended the abolition of Finland's state-run gambling monopoly and the introduction of a licensing system. Finland plans to abolish its state-run gambling monopoly by 2026 and introduce a licensing system instead. This move aims to enhance player protection and combat money laundering in gambling. It remains to be seen whether the Norwegian government will follow Finland's example.
Carl Fredrik Stenstrøm, Secretary General of the NBO, believes that sports betting is a digital and international service that should not be locally restricted. Ali, the CEO of the IBIA, shares this sentiment, supporting the NBO's efforts to challenge the state gambling monopoly in Norway. However, as of now, the Norwegian government has not yet commented on the collaboration between IBIA and NBO or the possibility of abolishing the gambling monopoly.
Sources: [1] Lotteritilsynet (2025). "Blocking of illegal online gambling sites." [Online] Available at: https://www.lotteritilsynet.no/nyheter/blocking-of-illegal-online-gambling-sites/
[2] Norsk Tipping (2025). "About us." [Online] Available at: https://www.norsktipping.no/om-oss/
- What are the implications of the partnership between the Norwegian Online Gaming Association (NBO) and the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) for casino-and-gambling in Norway?
- Despite Khalid Ali, CEO of the IBIA, supporting the NBO's fight against the state gambling monopoly in Norway, there is no current evidence of a policy-and-legislation push to abolish it, though gambling-trends may suggest otherwise.
- As Finland plans to abolish its state-run gambling monopoly in 2026, casino-personalities such as Carl Fredrik Stenstrøm, Secretary General of the NBO, advocate for a similar change in Norway. However, the politics surrounding this issue remain unclear.
