Norway is widely known for its high standard of living and winter sports. According to a local proverb, all Norwegians are born with skis on their feet, and although it may not be true literally, it does hold a certain truth. The country is one of the world’s greatest powers in winter sports – moreover, Norwegians love not only competing in sports but also betting on them.
According to a recent study, around 30% of the adult population in the Scandinavian country wagers on sports or opts for some other gambling activity as a form of recreation. If this does not sound too impressive compared to most European nations where over 50% of the people gamble on a weekly basis, we should mention that the Norwegian legislation is extremely strict and restrictive to all forms of gambling. At least on paper.
The government has established a full state monopoly on all forms of betting, casino gaming, lotteries, horse race betting, etc. No licenses have ever been issued to private operators and offshore betting companies. Still, the loose legislation allows for various web-based bookmakers to offer bets on winter sports, soccer, hockey, boxing, and many more.
Legalities of Online Sports Betting in Norway
Historical Betting Overview
Betting on sports has always been illegal in Norway, a country where traditional, Protestant values have governed the way of living for centuries. Until the middle of the 20th century, the general attitudes toward gambling as a whole have been very negative – people believed that they had to earn their money by honest, hard work and not by gambling.
Provisions 298 and 299 of the Norwegian Penal Code of 1902 stated that games of chance could be provided only by holders of a special license. Such permissions were issued only by the government and all other betting or gambling operations were considered illegal and punished. Yet, even regulated and licensed gambling businesses were just a handful of operators. Interestingly, people who took part in any gambling activities, including in legal, regulated betting, tend to do so in private.
With the modernization of society within the next few decades, the strict ban on gambling started to loosen. The first piece of legislation that shaped the betting and gambling industry in the country was the 1927 Totalizator Act. It gave the basis for a state-run organization for horse race betting to be established. This did not happen until the 1980s, though, when Norsk Rikstoto was founded. Norsk Rikstoto or the Norwegian National Tote is responsible for all parimutuel betting on animal racing in the country.
Odds Format in Norway
Understanding the odds is an essential part of sports betting – in order to have a chance for bigger profits, punters need to know how to determine which odds are good and when the odds do not provide a good value. In essence, the odds provide the information about the amount you could potentially win with every bet. There are three main formats, in which the odds are usually displayed by bookmakers – American odds, decimal, and fractional odds.
Just like in the rest of Europe, the most popular way to display the odds of bets is the decimal format. This is probably the simplest and easiest way to calculate the potential profit of a winning bet. A winning $10 bet at odds of 1.5, for instance, would bring a net profit of $15 – exactly 1.5 times the amount of the wager. As you can see, to come up with the expected profit, we just need to multiply the stake amount by the odds.
What You Need to Know About Sports Betting in Norway
Norway’s gambling scene is in a peculiar state right now, as the country is known for having some of the strictest gambling-related laws out there. It basically operates under a monopoly, with Norsk Rikstoto and Norsk Tipping being the only practicing gambling venues in the country which are permitted to do so. Moreover, there are no brick-and-mortar casinos to be found anywhere in Norway.
In terms of online gambling, wagering on foreign websites is technically illegal for Norwegian punters. However, you will be relieved to hear that the law is not being enforced. Instead, punters will face no repercussions for placing stakes on online bookies that operate overseas. The only obstacle a Norwegian punter will come across is the fact that banks are prohibited from processing transactions to and from international gambling venues, and said ban is very much in practice. Thus, if you live in Norway, you will generally need to opt for options such as E-wallets, cryptocurrency methods, and prepaid cards to aid your wagering journey.
Norwegian Betting Laws and Legislation
According to the current legislation and general understanding of the law in Norway, all forms of betting and gambling are illegal. There are, of course, certain exceptions that make this statement practically worthless. First and foremost, the Norwegian government has established a state monopoly and the only two entities that are allowed to offer betting or gambling services to the citizens of the country are Norsk Rikstoto and Norsk Tipping. Second, the current legislation does not effectively ban and pursue unregulated online operators based outside of the country.
There are several laws controlling betting and gambling in Norway and the first one was the 1927 Totalizator Act, which introduced legal betting on horse races. According to the Act, horse races and the related betting operations required special authorization by the state. Currently, Norsk Rikstoto is fully responsible for these activities.
The foundation was established in 1982 by the Norwegian Trotting Association and the Norwegian Jockey Club with the purpose to run the V6 totalizator game. Since 1993, it operates all horse race betting in the country – there are now 11 tracks for harness racing and one track for horse racing. The foundation pays 3.7% of its annual gross turnover as fees to the state.
Another important piece of legislation is the 1992 Gaming Scheme Act, which was passed in order to grant Norsk Tipping AS exclusive rights to offer various gambling services such as betting on sports, poker games, lotteries, keno, and scratch cards. The company was founded in 1948 when the State owned 40% of it, while the rest was held by the Norwegian Sports Federation and the Norwegian Football Association.
Today, it is fully owned by the Norwegian State and is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs. The types of games offered by Norsk Tipping were further detailed in the 1995 Lottery Act, which also granted licenses to charitable organizations that were allowed to operate lotteries and slot machines. However, the Lottery Act did not restrict charities to work in partnership with private companies and at some point, the slot machines became extremely popular in the country.
Since they were poorly regulated, the problem gambling rates in the country grew immensely in just a few years. This led to the banning of all slot machines in Norway in 2007, while in 2008, the government decided to make gambling and sports wagering on foreign websites illegal. In 2010, the Payment Act of Norway made it illegal for Norwegian banks and payment processors to accept transactions from offshore gaming and betting operators.
Betting Restrictions in Norway
Apparently, the legal environment in Norway is much more complex than it seems and there are tons of restrictions on sports betting in the country. While some are being enforced by authorities, others remain only on paper. For instance, there are no land-based casinos in Norway and all gambling and betting operations are carried out by state-run entities. Although it is illegal for individuals to place wagers on offshore betting sites, the rule has never been actually enforced.
The law states that bettors who bet online on an unregulated website can be fined. In theory, those who break the law can be imprisoned for a term of 3 months to 1 year. When it comes to legal betting activities, they are available to individuals who are 18 or older. There is no age limit, however, to scratch cards use and even children can buy them.
Betting is restricted only to the land-based and online products offered by Norsk Tipping. Despite authorities’ efforts to ban betting on foreign websites, the government does not prosecute bettors. The only major restriction betting fans would probably face is when they try to make a deposit or withdraw their money from an offshore betting or casino site.
Since 2010, Norwegian banks simply do not accept any payments related to illegal gambling or foreign operators. Moreover, Norwegian citizens are required to declare their winnings and any income from other countries.
Online Betting Regulatory Body in Norway
The regulatory body that oversees online betting in the country is the Norwegian Gaming and Foundation Authority (Lotteri og Stiftelsestilsynet), which is an agency within the Ministry of Culture. The Gaming Authority was established in 2001 to provide the administration, control, and regulation of state-run betting and gambling operations, as well as of private lotteries. It also processes the license application filed by associations who wish to hold lotteries with a turnover of more than NOK200,000 (approx. US$21,700).
The Authority also aims at preventing the negative impacts of the gambling and betting activities offered in the country. The Government’s gaming policy is based on social responsibility and the belief that the first priority should be safeguarding the people from the long-term dangers of compulsive gambling. The objective of the current regulation of the betting and gambling market is to limit and prevent “undesirable” gaming behavior, as stated on the website of the Norwegian Government.
Popular Betting Markets in Norway
As one might guess, Norway’s position in the Northern hemisphere has resulted in a population that is quite fond of winter sports. Indeed, sports the likes of skiing tend to be a favorite in the country, but other sport variations are pretty popular too. Moreover, you can be certain bookmakers offering their services to Norwegian customers take all of this into account and thus provide rich catalogs of sport types.
As previously established, winter sports are pretty popular among Norwegian punters. With that in mind, it is of no surprise that ice hockey is a favorite of many Norwegians. The sport’s history within this region dates back to 1930, and as you might imagine the nation has been home to generations of passionate fans ever since. Nowadays, betting on sports is a well-liked way for fans to enjoy ice hockey even more, and bettors can wager on markets like match winner, moneyline, number of goals, and so forth.
Interestingly, handball is also a favorite of many gambling aficionados in Norway, and the country houses the Eliteserien (handball) leagues. As such, you will often find this sport listed in bookies that aim to cater to Norwegian residents. Punters who are fond of this sport have a number of bet types to choose from such as outrights and handicaps, among others.
You would be hardpressed to find a European country that doesn’t harbor a passionate love for football, and Norway is certainly no different. This nation is home to many premium leagues such as Eliteserien (Football), Toppserien, and more. Naturally, a sport’s fame means that a good number of people love to gamble on the results of football matches, and indeed football sports betting is very popular on bookie websites. Norwegian punters have access to a rich variety of bet options the likes of match goals, double chance, both teams to score, and more.
Norwegians have been skiing for centuries, and the practice is still popular among Norwegian citizens nowadays. Spectating ski events as a form of entertainment is, of course, also a part of this, which means that many individuals also love to wager money while they are enjoying a race. Bookmakers have taken note of this, and you will find a library of markets to bet on including outrights, podium finish, and the aforementioned live-betting.
Popular Betting markets in Norway | |
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Sport | League |
Ice hockey | Eliteserien (Ice hockey) |
handball | Eliteserien (handball) |
football | Eliteserien (football), Toppserien |
skiing | Norwegian Ski Federation |
Norwegian Online Betting Bonuses
Technically, it is illegal for Norwegian citizens to bet on the websites of offshore bookmakers. The reality is very different, however, and there are hundreds of betting and gambling platforms that accept Norwegian punters. Moreover, the Government does not prosecute individuals and rarely taxes the winnings generated by gambling online. There are, of course, a few exceptions – only individuals who declared huge tax winnings have been required to pay taxes and fines.
On the contrary, many betting fans in the country are currently enjoying access to a wide range of online bookmakers conveniently from their computer or mobile device. The competition between bookies is fierce and they are all trying to attract Norwegian customers – with their living standards, Norwegians simply have a lot of cash to spend on betting.
Often, this results in better bonuses and enhanced odds for those who bet from Norway. Bettors based in the Scandinavian country are treated with dramatically increased odds on specific sports events – usually soccer or skiing events that are widely popular in Norway. With these enhanced odds, the potential profit generated from a successful bet could increase considerably.
Another great incentive for those who love sports and betting on them is the free bet bonus. It may come as a sign-up offer or as a part of a regular promotion on the website. Free bets are a fixed amount of bonus cash that must be used for wagering on certain sports events, type of sport, or on the outcome of any event offered by the operator. Normally, free bets have some minimum odds requirement – for instance, we receive a free bet of $20 and will need to wager it all at odd of 1.5 or more.
Some online bookmakers also offer new members welcome bonuses of $50, $100 or even $200. Such bonuses are normally granted as a percentage of the punter’s initial deposit – it could be 100%, for instance, which means that bettors will have twice as much to wager on the website. Another important condition for all sportsbook bonuses is the wagering requirement – it usually applies to the amount of the bonus (if it is a deposit bonus) or the winnings from it. Considering we have received a $50 bonus, for example, and the wagering requirement is 5x applied to the bonus, we will need to place bets of at least $250 (5x$50) before we can withdraw our winnings.
Mobile Betting in Norway
Scandinavian countries have always been among the most technologically advanced countries in the world, especially in the past few decades. And Norway is not an exception – Norwegians love new gadgets and anything mobile-friendly. Just like in most of the world, they now do anything from their phones – browsing the net, shopping, and betting on their favorite sports and teams.
The majority of betting operators available to Norwegian punters have created wonderful mobile apps and modern HTML5 sites that could be opened on any smartphone or tablet. In fact, even the state-run Norsk Tipping started offering betting services, lotteries and casino games on mobiles. It has a wonderful native app for iOS devices where iPhone users can enjoy betting on various sports, in-play betting, as well as lotteries and casino games.
However, the vast majority of punters in the country would prefer to bet online at one of the largest and most reputable betting sites. Needless to say, all leading bookmakers welcoming Norwegians have optimized their platforms for mobile use. Their websites are usually instantly accessible from all mobile devices, including iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. Rather than downloading applications on their phones, punters simply can open the betting site in the mobile browser of their choice.
Those operators who offer native apps for download usually take their international audience into account. There are currently dozens of betting apps available in Norwegian Bokmål, the dominant form of the Norwegian language used by over 90% of the people.
Popular Betting Banking Methods in Norway
Betting operators that accept members from Norway normally offer a great range of payment options to those who want to make a deposit or withdraw their winnings. However, punters residing in the country would probably face the issue of canceled credit/cards and canceled bank transfers. The reason is the Payment Act of Norway, which was passed in 2010 and effectively forced banks and various payment processors to accept transactions from offshore gambling and betting operators.
Currently, bank transfers could be processed only to and from the website of Norsk Tipping. However, plenty of other solutions are available to punters who have decided to sign up with a foreign bookmaker. The most preferred banking method is the digital wallet, of course. E-wallets such as ecoPayz offer a fast, secure and cost-effective way to make a deposit into a betting site and they are also a convenient withdrawal method. Normally e-wallet deposits are instant and free of charge, while payouts are processed within 24 hours.
Credit and debit cards remain the most convenient banking methods for the Norsk punters. VISA and Mastercard branded cards are widely accepted by most of the gambling merchants for both deposit and withdrawal.
Alternative payment methods can also be used and one of them is the WebMoney system – originally Russian, this online payment service is now being used around the world and features multiple payment products, including money transfers, e-wallet, and more. The prepaid solutions by Paysafecard are even more popular among Norwegian bettors due to the enhanced security, convenience and anonymity offered by the service.
One of the best ways to fund an online betting or gambling balance and to get your winnings paid out, however, is via cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. This option is extremely time-efficient and secure, while the fees are almost non-existent. But Bitcoin is just one of the many cryptocurrencies available to Norwegian punters, especially now when an increasing number of betting sites are starting to accept these types of payments.
Popular Banking Methods in Norway | |||||
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Payment Method | Fees | Deposit Limits | Deposit Times | Withdrawal Limits | Withdrawal Times |
VISA | Free | €10 / €5,000 | Instant | €20 / €5,000 | 1-3 business days |
Mastercard | Free | €10 / €5,000 | Instant | €20 / €5,000 | 1-3 business days |
Klarna | Free | €15 / €8,000 | Instant | N/A | N/A |
Paysafecard | Free | €5 / €1,000 | Instant | €5 / €2,500 | Within 24 hours |
Ecopayz | Free | €5 / €20,000 | Instant | €5 / €20,000 | Within 12 hours |
What to Watch When Picking Norway Betting Site
There are many things to take note of when you are trying to decide which website will be your bookie of choice. Chances are, your first impression of a casino will be that of what bonuses are on offer, and that is a good place for us to start. You are basically looking for two things as far as bonuses are concerned – the welcome bonus and the bonuses available to regular bettors. Both are valuable, but we recommend looking through a website’s long-term bonuses in more detail, as this will give you an idea of how regular customers are treated.
The second important aspect of online bookmakers is the odds formats that the website allows you to utilize. They are worth checking, particularly because you would want to see if decimal odds are an option. They tend to be the easiest to use when calculating payouts and are thus recommended to both novices and experienced punters alike.
Next, it is crucial to check the types of sports that are on offer, as well as the available markets. If you have a particular sport in mind, then it is important to see that it is both present in the website’s catalog and that there is a good number of bet types to choose from.
Last, but certainly not least, pay a visit to the venue’s payment methods section. This is especially important for Norwegian bettors, as banks within the country are unable to legally approve transactions to and from gambling websites that operate outside of Norway. If you are a Norwegian bettor, ensure that the website you are eyeing has provided methods such as e-wallets, cryptocurrency options, or prepaid cards.