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Everything you need to know about betting in Norway

Because of the rising interest of people in sports betting, thousands of sporting events are now covered by online betting services. And Norwegian customers will never be short of options when it comes to choosing one of the finest betting sites in the country.

The enthusiasm for online sports betting also has to do with the rise in popularity of sports betting mobile apps. They allow bettors to easily and quickly place wagers almost anywhere they are in the country and without having to sit at their computers or open their laptops.

The majority of individuals are never more than one meter away from their smartphones, and mobile sports betting in Norway adds an extra degree of convenience.

Norwegian players' favorite games

These are the top three favorite sports that Norweigan players like to place bets on.

Basketball

Basketball is the first sport on the list. Basketball is a popular sport in the United States and around the world. The NBA is the competition that generates the most worldwide interest.

The American basketball league, which has a total of 30 clubs, is the one that provides the highest-quality matches with the most talented players. Bettors can make predictions in this league as well as up to 30 other tournaments around the world at bookies.

Tennis

Tennis is thriving in Norway, and all international tennis tournaments draw millions of spectators from all over the world. The Grand Slam, the US Open, the Wimbledon Cup, and the Australian Open are just a few of the tournaments where bettors can make predictions and demonstrate their knowledge of the sport.

Although tennis does not have a long history in the United States, this should not prevent Norweigan bettors from generating a lot of money by betting on it.

Football

The finest European competitions, such as the Eliteserien, Premier League, Bundesliga, and Serie A, provide hours and hours of pure pleasure and football quality. The European teams are in one of their best periods, making big-name acquisitions and surprising us with high-level newcomers.

We must not overlook the most important competitions that take place on a global scale. From the FIFA World Cup through the Champions League and the Europa League, teams compete for the coveted trophies. Soccer is the most popular sport in Norway, with young people and adults from all around the country following it with fervor.

Payment methods in Norway

Every player who has never made an online deposit or withdrawal is anxious about the security of their personal and financial information. Given the large number of occurrences involving fraud and identity theft, this is very understandable.

Fortunately, most sports betting sites have shown their trustworthiness over time, and the personal information of bettors is heavily encrypted. For example, they're the only ones who know their passwords, and they can always count on a friendly staff of operators to assist with any banking-related issues.

In addition to MasterCard and VISA, these are the available payment methods:

Webmoney: WebMoney allows players to keep track of their savings and expenses, make safe transactions, and shop online at any time.
EcoCard: EcoCard is ideal for frequent clients as well as business partners who require a quick and safe payment mechanism.
Skrill: Bettors must link their credit or debit card to their Skrill account and complete the verification process in order to enjoy its features.
Neteller: Neteller has a low charge structure and is offered in over 180 countries. The transactions are entirely safe, and it's crucial to note that a person must spend the funds in their Neteller account within 14 months of receiving them, or they'll be charged an administrative fee.
PaySafeCard: PaySafeCard is a prepaid card, widely used as a deposit method in online casinos. Its main advantage is that it makes it unnecessary for any confidential personal or bank information to be disclosed.

History of betting in Norway

In Norway, almost all forms of gambling are considered prohibited. That's how it's been for the past century, at least. To make matters worse, whatever games are "allowed" are not only strictly regulated by the government, but they are also only available at state-owned venues. This implies the Norwegian government has a monopoly of sorts.

This has shifted little over time. In 1927, Norway became the first country in the world to permit horse race betting. Norsk Rikstoto (loosely translates as Norse Risk in English) was founded by the same people who presented the Totalizator Act and has since been the sole operator in charge of all horse racing in the country.

Today, that agreement still exists, but it now incorporates both offline and online horse race betting. Norsk Rikstoto is the only legal option for Norwegian gamblers who want to throw a few Krones at the horses.

Betting Nowadays in Norway

However, things evolved on that front as well. Norsk Tipping was established in 1992 as a result of the Gaming Act of 1992. This organization is in charge of just about any other type of gaming a person can think of. Lotteries, sports betting, and other games fall under this category.

Norsk Tipping became the governing body monitoring online poker because the internet began to show Norwegian gamblers that there were technological ways to outsmart the regulations and avoid any form of monopolization.

On the flip side, the internet is part of the picture. It provided access to a variety of resources. When offshore betting firms realized that the typical Norwegian had to play online poker at only one site, one that gave low odds, a limited game variety, and poor functioning, they created a new playing field for them.

Norway's government quickly realized what was going on, and in 2008, they made it illegal for residents to access and wager at foreign internet betting sites.

Future of betting in Norway

Then again, the people of Norway are strong-willed and determined. It shouldn't come as a surprise that the number of visitors from Norway using offshore online betting sites hasn't gone down. And if anything, the number of visitors has gone up. There are laws about gambling, alright, but apparently, those regulations are not being enforced by the Norwegian government.

That said, the future of betting in Norway seems promising. And it has never been easier to gamble on the outcome of sporting events than it is today. The only prerequisite is that bettors must have a device with an internet connection. There are numerous international web-based sportsbooks that accept bets from people of various nationalities, including Norwegians.

Sports betting in Norway is currently governed by the same laws and regulations that apply to traditional gaming. Without a legal license, operators are unable to legally offer, market, or distribute online gambling services.

Are casinos legal in Norway?

In 2020, the Ministry of Culture will provide a proposal for legal changes in the field, which will be subject to public comment. The Gaming Act, Totalizator Act, and Lottery Act will be consolidated into a single act. For bettors, nothing significant will change. The Gaming Authority, on the other hand, is expected to be given more authority to enforce gaming laws, particularly with regard to internet providers.

Betting Legislation in Norway

People who want to stick to legal betting have few options, as Norsk Rikstoto and Norsk Tipping effectively control the Norwegian market. The country's Penal Code of 1902 contains two provisions (298 and 299) that make it clear that participating in games of chance offered by unregistered suppliers is illegal.

The same can be said for sports betting, which cannot be classified as a game of skill. Punters have little influence on the result of sporting games.

Furthermore, Norwegian bettors may face challenges funding their accounts and withdrawing their winnings from international bookies. The Payment Act of 2010 made it illegal for banking institutions in the country to conduct transactions to and from "offshore" bookmakers, as previously stated. It makes no difference whether the betting supplier is a brick-and-mortar establishment or a virtual one.

If Norwegians utilize credit or debit cards, there is a significant risk they will fail to finish the transaction. Only funds from and to the Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto websites are said to be processed.

Taxation, on the other hand, should be taken into account. Of course, the revenues of the two state-owned firms, Norsk Rikstoto and Norsk Tipping, are subject to a tax. Norsk Rikstoto pays the state more than 3% of its gross revenues each year. In most nations, betting gains are not taxed, but this is not the case in Norway.

The worst aspect is that it makes no difference how much money bettors have won. In theory, this is the Norwegian law, but in practice, authorities are said to levy taxes exclusively on high-profit bettors. Furthermore, this primarily pertains to poker players. Sports bettors who wager for fun have nothing to worry about.

Betting Acts in Norway

Government regulations such as these are aimed at preventing and controlling gambling addiction. Limiting punters' betting possibilities is one method to do this. It's a different story whether or not such approaches are effective. Following the passage of the Payment Act in 2010, the Norwegian Gaming Board carried out a poll to see if the number of people suffering from gambling addiction has decreased.

It found out that the figure had risen to a little over 2%. In 2007, a similar study was performed, although the percentage was smaller, just about 1.5%. The administration of the country has devised a strategy to restrict overseas bookmakers' IP addresses. By restricting punters' online access to international sportsbooks, the idea was to make regulations easier.

Lottery Act

According to the Norwegian Lottery Act, a corporation can only provide a lottery within the country if it has a special state license. Furthermore, such a license can only be granted to organizations with a humanitarian or socially beneficial mission.

Totalizator Act

In 1927, the Totalizator Act was passed. Its main goal was to make horse racing betting legal in the country. Norsk Rikstoto, a state-owned organization, was given the authority to supervise and execute horse racing wagering across the country.

Norsk Rikstoto, which literally translates to "Norwegian National Tote," is in charge of all parimutuel betting on animal races in Norway. In Norway, equine racing is the only type of racing permitted. This means that only trotting and gallop races are available for wagering.

Gaming Act

In 1992, the so-called Gaming Act went into effect. Norsk Tipping was formally authorized to take over sports betting, national lotteries, and all other kinds of gambling, establishing yet another monopoly. It's worth noting that Norsk Tipping has been around since 1948, but it was only responsible for soccer pools at the time because that was the only type of sports betting available in the country.

When the corporation was taken over by the government in 1992, it was given a license to provide internet poker games to Norwegians.

FAQs

The concerns of Norwegian bettors are primarily addressed to operators. These are some of their common concerns:

In Norway, how is social gaming regulated?

If social games fit under the gambling definition, they are prohibited from being provided, marketed, or distributed without a Gaming Authority license.

In Norway, how widely is blockchain used, and how is it governed?

Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto do not use blockchain. Therefore, existing laws aren't involved in its regulation.

What if a bettor incurs debts?

If operators offer money to a bettor in Norway, it should be their responsibility to collect the payment.

Most Popular Bookies in Norway