Norway is definitely among the countries where all forms of gambling activities are strictly monitored and those who dare to violate the rules face serious sanctions. Although the question about amending the existing gambling related laws was put back on the agenda in 2014, little progress has been made since then. Admittedly, Norway regulations need to be reviewed and made compatible with the fast-changing economy conditions. Although Norway is not a member of the European Union at the time of writing the current article, it still plays an important role in the development of the European economy.
Speaking of the gambling-related issues in particular, the government is yet to take actions towards allowing gambling operators to obtain a license and start providing their services on Norwegian soil.
For the time being, the companies given the green light to operate on the Norwegian gambling scene are Norsk Rikstoto and Norsk Tipping. The fact that only two companies operate in Norway, gives the market analysts the right to call them the absolute monopolists in the country. All forms of gambling that are not provided by Norsk Rikstoto or Norsk Tipping are considered illegal. It is even illegal to throw a party at home if includes gambling.
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Although Norway is not a country where residents are allowed to freely take part in gambling activities, it can take pride in being the home country of Annette Obrestad, who became known as the youngest player who won a WSOP bracelet in 2007.
Relevant Legislative Framework
The existing gambling laws in Norway came into force almost a century ago and as a result, all forms of gambling were defined as illegal.
Here is some information about the two companies legally allowed to operate in Norway:
Norsk Rikstoto
The year 1982 saw the establishment of the Norsk Rikstoto and since then, the company has been present on the Norwegian gambling market. It is responsible for regulating animal racing in the country. The initial idea of the founders of the Norsk Rikstoto was to make it a totalizator game but the turn of events made it even more successful than expected.
Currently, the company is one of the monopolists on the Norwegian gambling market and provides online and offline gambling activities. It is the only operator allowed to accept horse racing wagers over the Internet.
Norsk Tipping
Norsk Tipping is the Norwegian national lottery, which bas established back in 1948. During the years, it has made a considerable progress and now, it provides Norwegian players with lottery games, sports betting, etc.
The so-called Gaming Act of 1992 gave Norsk Tipping the right to operate within the country and at a later stage, it was even allowed to monitor poker websites.
Despite being quite reserved towards legalizing all kinds of online gambling activities, Norwegian authorities have made efforts during the years to make the legislation more transparent and clearly state which are the gambling activities citizens are legally allowed to take part in.
According to the Norwegian Penal Code of 1902, the games of chance are the only legal form of gambling on grounds that the provider has a special license.
Then, the legislative matters were brought to a standstill until 1927 when the Totalisator Act came into force followed by the Gaming Act of 1992 and the Lottery Act of 1995.
The aforementioned pieces of legislation gave Norsk Riksoto the right to offer horse-racing betting services, while Norsk Tipping was granted the right to provide football and lotto games.
In point of fact, these are the main laws that determined the monopoly of the two companies and formed the notion of Norway as a country reluctant to develop its relatively untapped gambling sector.
At one point, Norwegian players were even prohibited from using the services of foreign gambling operators, which created a lot of disagreements. Although many of them saw the light at the end of the tunnel when the government announced its intentions to open up the market, they were disappointed to know that the final decision was to keep the monopoly of Norsk Tipping and Norsk Riksoto.
Online Gambling Regulator in Norway
The Norwegian Gambling Authority is in charge of monitoring the gambling activities that take place on the territory of the country and taking adequate measures towards the prevention of illegal gambling activities and dishonest practices.
The Norwegian Gambling Authority is under control of the Ministry of Culture and is responsible for supervising lotteries, slots, horse race betting, bingo, raffles, sports betting.
The Gambling Authority also keeps gambling activities in the country organized and deals with the negative consequences of gambling addiction. The monetary issues are also delegated to the Authority along with the control over citizens likely to suffer from gambling addiction. The Authority is also responsible for making sure that the revenue generated from gambling, is given away for charitable purposes.
Mobile Gambling in Norway
The lack of Norwegian casino websites leads to the most logical outcome. Players opt for foreign casinos and according to the latest statistics, the number of prestigious and reliable online casinos that accept Norwegian players is pretty high. Another survey shows that more and more Norwegians use their smartphones for accessing casino games on foreign websites.
Casino Deposit Methods for Norwegians
PaySafeCard
PaySafeCard is yet another convenient form of payment available for Norwegian players. 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. You can determine the amount which can be loaded in your PaySafeCard. You will be given a 16-digit PIN that will be required for an online transaction to be made.
PaySafeCard, however, is not among the payment methods available worldwide but in the countries where it is available, it is a really popular among casino players and those who do not want to use their credit or debit card for online purchases.
Apart from Norway, Paysafecard is available in Austria, Greece, Hungary, Cyprus, France, Denmark, Argentina, Mexico, Poland, the UK, Spain, Sweden, etc. It can be purchased from big store chains, kiosks.
Skrill
Previously known as Moneybookers, Skrill emerged as a reliable and widely accepted payment method. It does not matter if you want to deposit money to an online casino, withdraw your winnings or you are just eager to make a small purchase from an Internet store, Skrill is a payment solution worthy of trying. In order to use its functionalities, you have to link your credit or debit card to your Skrill account and go through the verification process. A small amount of money will be deducted from your balance for the purposes of the verification.
You can both deposit and withdraw winnings to Skrill. However, you have to be informed that while depositing funds takes approximately ten minutes, you will have to wait a couple of business days if you want your winnings transferred from your Skrill account to your bank account.
Skrill is available in Norway as well and its security is yet another reason for its popularity.
Neteller
According to the latest information, Neteller is among the five most popular payment processors used by casino players worldwide. What makes it such a convenient option is that it is suitable for both deposits and withdrawals. In addition, it has a number of nice features combined with great terms and conditions for usage.
Neteller has reasonable fees and it is available in more than 180 countries. The transactions are absolutely secure and it is important to know that you have to use the funds in your Neteller account within 14 months, otherwise you will have to pay an administrative fee.
In addition, you can take advantage of the so-called Net + card. It is a prepaid MasterCard which can be extremely helpful when it comes to depositing / withdrawing casino funds as it will accelerate the process.
You can rest assured that it is absolutely secure and your confidential details will not be shared with third parties.
EcoCard
EcoCard is an online payment solution offered by ecoPayz and popular among Norway – based players. EcoCard is suitable for both regular customers and businesses partners who want a fast and secure payment method to rely on.
EcoCard is also accepted in a number of online casinos welcoming international players and players from Norway in particular.
You need neither credit or debit card in order to start using the EcoCard services. Customers are given full control over their savings and spendings and they can deposit funds into several currencies.
You can use your EcoCard at any place where you see that MasterCard is accepted.
VISA
It would be illogical to skip the most influential payment processor on a global scale – VISA. It is available in Norway and players are enabled to deposit and withdraw funds directly to and from their debit/ credit cards. Of course, you can also opt for a prepaid VISA if you want to fund your casino account. It will help you have a better idea about what your spendings and savings are. Some prepaid VISAs are reloadable and have no expiration date.
It is important to note that not all bank institutions issue VISA, so you have to make sure the bank you have decided to create an account with is allowed to issue VISA.
MasterCard
MasterCard is probably the biggest rival of VISA and it is also among the popular methods Norwegian players use for depositing funds to their casino accounts and making different kind of purchases over the Internet. However, MasterCard has one major setback. The probability to have your withdrawal request to MasterCard rejected is pretty high and most casinos recommend you to save yourself the unnecessary troubles and opt for another withdrawal method.
In most cases, it cannot be used for withdrawal purposes.
Webmoney
Webmoney, also known as WebMoney Transfer is a popular payment platform, which has been widely used by Norwegian players for quite some time. Admittedly, WebMoney is not as popular as some other online payment solutions but those who have used it say that they had trouble-free deposit experience. WebMoney can be used for funding your casino account and you can start playing your favourite casino game in a matter of minutes. WebMoney allows players to keep track of their savings and spendings, have safe transactions and make online purchases at any time. In addition, it is user-friendly and you are not supposed to reveal any confidential information such as bank account or personal details.
The procedure for creating an account is as simplified as possible. You can easily fund your e-wallet and make transfers at any time. One of the main advantages of WebMoney is that the fees are reasonable. Plus, it can be used for both deposits and withdrawals, which can be made in several currencies.
However, it is important to check what are the withdrawal limits your preferred casino has set.
How Safe these Payment Methods Are?
Every player who has never deposited or withdrawn money over the Internet before is concerned about the safety of their personal and bank information. That’s absolutely normal, given the immense number of incidents related to fraud and identity theft. However, the casinos discussed below have proven their reliability during the years and your details are heavily encrypted. No one but you knows your password and you can always rely on a courteous team of operators to help you solve any banking-related issue.
No confidential information shall be shared with third parties and the security system is regularly updated.
Casinos Accepting Norwegian Players
Although the Norwegian gambling legislation is still in limbo and it does not seem like any actions will be taken anytime soon, Norway-based players are eligible for using the services of foreign online casinos, deposit and withdraw funds via the aforementioned payment methods. Below, you will find five of the most reliable online casinos welcoming international players and Norwegians in particular.
Royal Panda
Royal Panda is a popular and trustworthy casino for a reason. Creating an account means that you will be eligible for playing the latest casino games and feel the exciting atmosphere of the real casino game by trying your luck at the live dealer casino. Norwegian players are also welcome and they are granted the full range of functionalities to take advantage of.
Withdrawing casino winnings usually requires a few business days but Royal Panda is dedicated to providing its players with as many conveniences as possible. That is why withdrawals are processed within 24 hours after the player’s withdrawal request.
It is important to note that depending on the payment method you settle for, you will have to adhere to certain withdrawal limits. Due to security reasons, you will be allowed to make withdrawals that do not exceed 5,000 per 24 hours regardless of the payment processor you choose.
One of the disadvantages you will face is that Royal Panda does not accept Norwegian currency, so Norwegian players are advised to select Euro as their primary currency upon creating an account.
Speaking of the payment methods, Norwegians can process their payments through PaySafeCard, Skrill, Neteller.
Casino Cruise
Casino Cruise has emerged as one of the most reliable online casinos accepting Norwegian players and offering the best selection of table and slot games. As for the payment methods Norwegians can use for topping up their accounts and withdrawing their winnings, Casino Cruise provides them with many payment processors to choose from.
You can opt for credit/debit cards, prepaid cards, instant banking, bank transfers, e-wallets such as Skrill, Neteller, EcoCard, WebMoney, PaySafeCard. Casino Cruise accepts NOK but withdrawals to a MasterCard are not possible.
Betway
Powered by Microgaming, Betway offers slot and table games of unparalleled quality along with a live dealer casinos where the most popular table games and their variations are available, Betway is one of the best solutions if you are a passionate Norway-based player. You can quickly and easily deposit funds via one of the following payment processors: Neteller, VISA, PaySafeCard, Skrill, Spendon gift cards, (provided that it is the VISA – powered card), Direct Bank Transfer.
As for withdrawing funds, you can use PayVision, EMS, Swift, EcoPayZ, Neteller, Skrill.
All transactions can be processed in your currency. Betway accepts NOK, which saves you the fees for currency converting.
Mr Green
Mr Green is yet another prominent online casino where Norway players are more than welcome.
It offers a wide collection of table and slot games developed by leaders on the global gaming market such as NetEnt and Betsoft. Mr Green aims at meeting the requirements of every player and that is why they are given a wide number of payment options. Since Mr Green recommends the usage of the same payment processor for both deposit and withdrawal, here is the list of available options: VISA, PaySafeCard, Skrill, Neteller, Trustly (bank transfers). As far as safety is concerned, you can rest assured that all payment processors are verified and customers’ security is of paramount priority for them.
Another advantage of creating an account at Mr Green is that you can play with NOK. Your funds shall not be converted to another currency.
32Red
32Red is an online casino powered by Microgaming and featuring some of the most exciting casino games Norwegian players could be looking for. 32Red gives Norway-based players access to the great collection of games and ensures the profitability of their game session by offering exciting bonuses and jackpots.
In order to get started, you can top up your casino account by using one of the following payment processors: Neteller Skrill, Paysafe, Direct wire transfer, ecoCard. The casino also accepts NOK.
