Norway Proposes Online Poker Through Norsk Tipping Monopoly

According to the government’s official consultation, Norway currently has no authorised online poker product. Players seeking the game therefore use unregulated services, international platforms or methods that bypass existing payment and DNS-blocking measures.

The ministry argues that prohibition alone cannot deliver effective channelisation when poker demand remains substantial. Its proposal would bring the product into Norsk Tipping’s portfolio, where identity checks, loss limits, player monitoring and intervention tools could be applied.

This approach follows Norway’s online gambling framework, under which Norsk Tipping controls most lottery, casino and sports betting products while Norsk Rikstoto holds exclusive rights for horse-race betting.

The proposal would permit tournament poker and cash games. Players would face a maximum net loss of NOK5,000 per day and NOK10,000 per month. The monthly ceiling for customers under 20 would be NOK2,000.

Tournament entry fees would be capped at NOK2,500, including registration charges. Cash-game buy-ins would be limited to NOK1,000 per table, with maximum blinds of NOK10 for the big blind and NOK5 for the small blind.

Tournament players would take a mandatory five-minute break every hour. Customers would also be restricted to four simultaneous tables. Norsk Tipping would be expected to develop monitoring tools for cash-game players and allow daily playing-time limits.

The ministry is also considering a barrier between poker and online casino play, potentially including a 15-minute pause when customers move directly between the verticals. This remains under consultation and is not a confirmed rule.

The proposal does not prepare Norway to license international poker operators. Instead, it would expand the monopoly’s portfolio so Norsk Tipping can compete more effectively with offshore supply while remaining under direct state control.

That distinction matters for operators monitoring the Nordic region. Norway’s gambling monopoly survived the 2025 general election, despite pressure from the Progress Party and industry stakeholders for a multi-licence system.

Progress Party MP Silje Hjemdal said: “We are one of the very, very few countries left that have this remote gambling model. We must regulate better.”
The government has nevertheless chosen channelisation through the incumbent monopoly. Players using offshore online casinos available in Norway would not gain access to locally licensed private brands under the poker proposal.

The consultation proposes mandatory incident reporting for major gambling providers. Norsk Tipping, Norsk Rikstoto and certain bingo and lottery suppliers would have to inform Lotteritilsynet proactively about serious operational incidents.

The requirement is commercially relevant following technical and control failures at monopoly operators. Faster disclosure could help the regulator intervene earlier, identify recurring weaknesses and assess whether player-protection systems are working as intended.

Stakeholders can submit responses until 29 November. The ministry will then review the feedback and decide whether to adopt or revise the regulations.

Even if the changes proceed, a launch date is not guaranteed. Norsk Tipping would need to establish its platform, controls, game rules and any external poker-network arrangements before offering real-money play.

For the B2B sector, the immediate conclusion is clear. Norway is considering a regulated poker channel inside its existing monopoly. It is not opening the market, and no commercial operator application process has been announced.