Norway runs one of the strictest gambling systems in Europe. Online gambling is reserved for two state-owned companies, and the authorities use payment blocking and, since 2025, DNS blocking against operators without a Norwegian licence. This guide explains the legal situation, who regulates the market, how to recognise a legal provider, how winnings are taxed and where to find help.
Is online gambling legal in Norway?
Online gambling is legal in Norway only through Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto. Norsk Tipping offers lotteries, sports betting and online casino games, while Norsk Rikstoto has the right to horse race betting. No other company may offer gambling to Norwegian residents.
The Gambling Act (pengespilloven), in force since 2023, keeps this exclusive rights model. It also prohibits marketing of gambling that is not licensed in Norway. Playing at a foreign site is not a criminal offence for the individual player, but it takes place outside the Norwegian system of supervision and player protection.
The age limit is 18 for most games.
Who regulates gambling in Norway?
The Norwegian Gaming Authority (Lotteritilsynet) supervises gambling in Norway. It checks that Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto follow their rules and acts against operators that target Norwegian players without permission. The Ministry of Culture and Equality is responsible for gambling policy and legislation.
The authority looks at several signs when it decides whether a foreign site targets Norway, for example Norwegian language content, payments in Norwegian kroner, marketing in Norwegian media or the use of Norwegian public figures in promotions.
How does Norway act against unlicensed gambling sites?
Norway uses several tools at once. Banks and payment providers are prohibited from processing deposits and winnings for gambling that is not licensed in Norway, which is why card and bank payments to such sites are often declined.
Since 1 January 2025 the Norwegian Gaming Authority can also order internet providers to block access to unlicensed gambling websites. The first blocking decisions covered dozens of sites in April 2025. When a site is blocked, users see a page from their internet provider, which explains that the person trying to visit the site is not breaking the law.
Marketing is restricted as well. Broadcasting gambling advertising from unlicensed operators to Norwegian viewers has been a long-running focus of the authorities, and the Gambling Act bans marketing of gambling that is not permitted in Norway.
- Payment blocking of deposits and winnings to unlicensed operators
- DNS blocking of unlicensed gambling websites since 2025
- A ban on marketing gambling that is not licensed in Norway
- Warnings and orders to foreign companies that target Norway
How can you recognise a legal gambling provider in Norway?
There are only two: Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto. Any other site that offers casino games, betting or poker to Norwegian residents does not have Norwegian permission, even if it shows a licence from Malta, another EEA country or Curaçao.
The Norwegian Gaming Authority publishes information about legal gambling and its decisions against unlicensed operators on its website. If you are unsure about a site, that is the place to check.
- Check whether the site is run by Norsk Tipping or Norsk Rikstoto.
- Look for login with BankID, which the legal providers use to identify players.
- Confirm that the site lets you set loss limits and take breaks before you play.
- If the site is run by any other company, assume it has no Norwegian permission.
What player protection tools are available?
Norsk Tipping requires identification and has mandatory loss limits for its online games. Players can set their own lower limits, take a break for a chosen period or exclude themselves from certain games or from all games. Norsk Rikstoto offers similar tools for its betting products.
These tools only work at the legal providers. Norway does not have a national self-exclusion register that covers foreign sites, so a block at Norsk Tipping does not stop you from opening an account elsewhere. If you have decided to stop gambling, you can also ask your bank about blocking gambling transactions on your card.
What are the risks of unlicensed gambling sites?
If you play at a site without Norwegian permission, the Norwegian Gaming Authority cannot help you with a dispute. Delayed withdrawals, closed accounts or bonus terms you did not expect have to be taken up with the operator or with a foreign regulator, which can be slow and difficult.
Payments may also be stopped by your bank, and winnings may not reach your account. On top of that, unlicensed sites do not apply the Norwegian loss limits, so it is easier to spend more than you intended.
Do you pay tax on gambling winnings in Norway?
Winnings from Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto, and from some other categories such as certain charity lotteries, are tax-free. According to the Norwegian Tax Administration (Skatteetaten), other gambling winnings are taxable, and individual winnings above NOK 10,000 must be reported on your tax return.
Gambling in another EEA country is only tax-free in limited cases, for example when the game is comparable to legal Norwegian gaming and its profit goes to charitable or non-profit purposes. Most commercial online casinos do not meet that test, so check Skatteetaten's guidance on winnings before you assume a win is tax-free.
Where can you get help with gambling problems in Norway?
Hjelpelinjen is the national helpline for people with gambling problems and their families. It is free and you can call 800 800 40. The service can also give advice on treatment and support groups near you.
If you are worried about your own gambling, use the limit and break tools at your provider, talk to someone you trust and contact the helpline early.
Myths vs facts
- Myth: It is a crime for Norwegians to play at foreign casino sites.
- Fact: The rules are aimed at operators, marketers and payment providers. The player is not prosecuted, but has no Norwegian protection if something goes wrong.
- Myth: An EU or EEA licence makes a casino legal in Norway.
- Fact: Only Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto have the right to offer gambling in Norway. A licence from another country does not change that.
- Myth: All gambling winnings are tax-free in Norway.
- Fact: Winnings from the Norwegian state operators are tax-free, but most other winnings are taxable and amounts above NOK 10,000 must be reported.
- Myth: Blocking only applies to the website, so payments still work.
- Fact: Norway has blocked payments to unlicensed gambling operators for years, and DNS blocking was added on top in 2025.
Before you claim
- Provider is Norsk Tipping or Norsk Rikstoto
- Login uses BankID
- Loss limits are set before you play
- You know how to take a break or self-exclude
- Winnings above NOK 10,000 from other sources are reported to Skatteetaten
- You have read the Lotteritilsynet information on legal gambling
- Hjelpelinjen number 800 800 40 saved in case you need it