The Norway Gaming Authority (Lotteritilsynet) has announced that it has issued a series of licences to operate postcode and recycling-style lotteries in the country.
The market maintains one of the last European gambling monopolies. However, regulations allow for certain companies to apply for licences to run select forms of gaming and gambling.
In order to secure one of these licences, applicants must meet a list of criteria. This includes having a maximum annual turnover of NOK410 million ($40.7 million). Among the areas exempt from the monopoly are postcode and recycling, or Pantelotteriet, lotteries.
With postcode lotteries, players pay to have their own postcode entered into a draw for the chance to win prizes. In the latest round of licensing, Lotteritilsynet issued a total of 23 permits for this game format.
Successful applicants included charitable organisations SOS Children’s Villages, WWF, Redd Barna, Norwegian Church Aid and Norwegian People’s Aid. Each will directly work with the Norsk Postkodelotteriet, the country’s established postcode lottery. Some 50% of turnover after winnings will be split between the licensees.
The postcode lottery licences will commence on 1 March 2026 and run to 28 February 2035. Previously, there were only two licence-holders within this segment.
Recycling lottery licence for Norwegian Red Cross
Meanwhile, the regulator issued a single licence for the Pantelotteriet concept. This game is run as a recycling lottery, encouraging people across Norway to recycle bottles and cans at machines in stores and other locations.
Consumers can choose to receive money for their recycled items or exchange this for entries into a lottery. Players can win cash prizes while money collected from recycling is diverted to charities.
The Norwegian Red Cross was the single successful applicant for the licence and will work with Norsk Pantelotteri, the organisation that runs the lottery. At least 50% of total turnover after winnings are deducted will go to the Norwegian Red Cross. As was the case with the postcode lottery, the licence will run through to 2035.
Calls continue to end Norway gambling monopoly
While licences for these games are permitted, the Norwegian market remains otherwise limited.
Current regulations mean gambling is only legally offered by state monopolies Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto. These operators offer online gambling, sports betting, horse racing, lottery and physical slots.
However, some politicians have called for the monopoly to be dropped and to open up the market to more licensees. This would echo similar approaches in other Nordic countries such as Sweden and, as of next year, Finland.
The Progress Party has been calling for an end to the gambling monopoly in Norway since its 2021 election manifesto. While it failed to gain power at the 2025 election, it increased its seat count by 26 to 47, marginally behind the 53 of the minority Labour government.
“We are one of very few countries left that have this [remote gambling] model,” Progress Party MP Silje Hjemdal said last May. “We must regulate better, and the way the model is today, there are actually very large sums of money that are sent out of the country every year, without going back to Norwegian sports or culture.”
Concerns remain over gambling monopoly operators
Those advocating for change have also highlighted the controversy around the operators that currently offer gambling in Norway.
Norsk Tipping has faced a series of regulatory charges related to issues with its operations. Concerns first came to light in February 2025 when Lotteritilsynet flagged failings with self-exclusion. This led to a penalty of NOK36 million.
The regulator also investigated Norsk Tipping over a tip-off that a minor had transferred money to the platform. Then, it was handed a NOK46 million penalty over a technical failing for Eurojackpot and Lotto. Other penalties over other issues may follow, with the operator potentially facing further punishment over its conduct.
Amid all this, Vegar Sagstuen resigned as CEO after the operator published incorrect prize amounts for the Eurojackpot draw. Thousands of customers were given false expectations that they had won larger amounts of money, with the issue put down to human error. Trond Bentestuen was announced as its new CEO at the end of 2025.
However, the issues were not limited to Norsk Tipping, with Norsk Rikstoto having also felt the wrath of the regulator. This week, it was confirmed Norsk Rikstoto would have to pay NOK6 million over a loss limit error, whereby 806 customers were allowed to gamble beyond their pre-set limits.
One licence was issued for recycling-style lotteries and 23 for postcode lotteries.