Norway’s government has proposed allowing state-owned Norsk Tipping to offer online poker, aiming to shift players away from offshore operators and bring the activity inside the country’s regulated gambling system.
The Ministry of Culture and Equality opened a consultation on 29 September on amendments to Norway’s gambling regulations. The plan would explicitly permit Norsk Tipping to run both online poker tournaments and cash games, while imposing detailed limits intended to reduce gambling-related harm. The consultation remains open until 29 November.
The ministry said the timetable has been shortened so the changes could take effect quickly and allow Norsk Tipping to begin developing a regulated poker product as an alternative to offshore platforms.
Strict limits proposed for poker players
Under the proposal, online poker customers would face a maximum daily loss of NOK5,000 and a monthly loss limit of NOK10,000. Players aged under 20 would be restricted to NOK2,000 in monthly losses.
Tournament entry fees, including charges, would be capped at NOK2,500, while the maximum permitted cash-game buy-in would be NOK1,000. Cash tables would also operate with blinds capped at NOK5 for the small blind and NOK10 for the big blind.
Players would be allowed to participate at no more than four tables simultaneously. Tournament participants would have to take a five-minute break after every hour of play, while Norsk Tipping would be expected to introduce monitoring tools for cash-game customers.
A 15-minute cooling-off period would also apply when customers move directly between online poker and Norsk Tipping’s online casino games.
The ministry is additionally seeking feedback on whether poker advertising should be prohibited or subject to substantial restrictions, particularly because of concerns over exposure among younger and vulnerable consumers.
Government targets established offshore poker activity
Online poker currently has no legal domestic regulated offering in Norway, despite substantial participation through foreign websites. A University of Bergen population study from 2022 estimated that almost 90,000 Norwegians played online poker with overseas operators during the year.
Norsk Tipping now estimates the annual market could involve between 100,000 and 150,000 players, with as many as 130,000 active during a single quarter. The government argues that introducing a domestic product would give those players access to poker under Norwegian responsible-gambling rules rather than leaving the activity entirely with operators outside the regulated market.
Norway maintains a gambling monopoly model centred on Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto, while overseas commercial operators are not permitted to target the Norwegian market without authorisation. The government has also strengthened measures against offshore gambling in recent years, including DNS blocking of illegal gambling websites.
Several international poker brands have already withdrawn from Norway, including PokerStars in 2023, while Unibet and 888 have also ended their Norwegian-facing poker operations.
Broader reporting rules included
The consultation goes beyond poker. The government also wants mandatory incident reporting for the largest gambling operators and suppliers, including Norsk Tipping, Norsk Rikstoto and major bingo and lottery businesses.
Serious operational incidents and other significant deviations would have to be reported proactively to the Norwegian Gambling and Foundation Authority, giving the regulator earlier visibility of problems.
Separate technical changes are proposed for the distribution of funds generated through Belago bingo terminals, including requirements for verified bank accounts and valid registration of recipient organisations.
If adopted, the reforms would mark the first time Norsk Tipping is formally authorised to offer online poker and would add another product to Norway’s state-controlled digital gambling framework.