Norwegian Progress Party member Silje Hjemdal recently emphasized again that the Progress Party hopes to end the state monopoly of the Norwegian gambling industry before the general election on September 8 this year, and called for learning from the successful experiences of neighboring countries to promote reform.
Since the election manifesto in 2021, the Progress Party has been advocating for ending the gambling monopoly and opening up market competition. Hjemdal pointed out at a conference organized by the Norwegian Trade Organization Norsk Bransjeforening for Onlinespill in May that the remote gambling regulatory models of Nordic countries such as Finland, Sweden, and Denmark are worth learning from for Norway. Although the specific model has not yet been determined, she specifically mentioned that Denmark's regulatory system is "exciting" and hopes to conduct field visits and learn.
Hjemdal emphasized that Norway is currently one of the few countries in Europe that still implements a gambling monopoly, which leads to a large amount of money flowing overseas and not effectively returning to the country's sports and cultural affairs.
According to current regulations, only the state monopoly enterprises Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto are allowed to legally operate online gambling, sports betting, horse racing, lotteries, and physical slot machines, etc. In recent years, Norsk Tipping has been frequently criticized and fined due to regulatory issues. In February this year, the Norwegian Gambling Authority issued a fine of 36 million Norwegian kroner (approximately 3.2 million US dollars) to it for failing to effectively prevent players from self-excluding.
Hjemdal believes that these issues expose the shortcomings of the monopoly system and prove the necessity of opening the market and introducing competitive regulation. She stated: "Although some people call Norsk Tipping the safest and most responsible operator, they have been exposed for regulatory failures multiple times, and this hefty fine is the price they pay. Fortunately, the attention of the mainstream Norwegian media to these issues helps promote change."
In addition to the Progress Party, the Conservative Party also supported the cancellation of the gambling monopoly in its policy declaration last September. Carl Stenstrøm, the director of the Norwegian Gambling Authority, revealed to the industry media iGB that based on the political support of both parties, the Norwegian remote gambling market is expected to open by 2028.
As the last country on the Scandinavian Peninsula to maintain a gambling monopoly, Norway, against the backdrop of market liberalization in neighboring countries like Finland, is experiencing increasingly loud calls for reform. The future changes in gambling regulation will have a profound impact on the landscape of the Norwegian gambling industry.
