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Europe is one of the most prominent destinations for jaunt gambling. Along with offline casino gambling, the online casino and sports betting scene has picked up massively since the last decade.
Europe does not have one law or a single commission for all European countries, the European gambling market comprises of several nationally regulated jurisdictions.
Is Online Gambling Entirely Legal in Norway?
England, France, Switzerland, Latvia and many other countries have an easy-going attitude toward online and offline betting. Unfortunately, Norway is not one of them. Generally, online and offline gambling (including sports betting) is considered illegal in Norway.
The Norwegian government has asked credit and debit card companies to deny the transfer of funds between Norwegian citizens and online gaming operators, says a report by CardPlayer.
However, there is a silver lining for those willing to work with state-owned gambling companies. You must know the gambling laws and possible waging options in Norway if you want to sign-up with a Norwegian gambling website.
To answer this question, gambling is partially legal in Norway. Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto are two companies that offer gambling services in Norway.
Both Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto are state-owned companies. The Ministry of Culture and Church affairs guides and regulates the operations or Norsk Tipping.
Also, there are several Norway casino online sites abroad. A Norwegian citizen may not own and operate an offshore gambling website, but they are designed keeping the Norwegian culture and rhetoric in mind. They provide the option to choose between Bokmal, Nynorsk, and Sami.
What Else Do I Need to Know About Gambling in Norway?
As I mentioned earlier, owning and operating a gambling website is punishable by law in Norway. A Norwegian citizen is not allowed to conduct any sort of gambling business. Although they are allowed to invite friends home if they are willing to participate in games and activities organized by the following two authorities:
- Norsk Tipping
- Norsk Rikstoto
Norsk Tipping offers poker, lotteries, sports betting, bingo, keno, and scratch card games. All participants have to be over 18 years of age to be able to enjoy the gambling services offered by Norsk Tipping. Norsk Rikstoto is the only company in Norway permitted to arrange horse race betting.
The good news is, you can sign-up with an offshore Norwegian gambling website. Although, you will have to find an alternative payment method to credit or debit card. I would suggest that you invest in a cryptocurrency and use it as a wager. There are several casino sites accepting cryptocurrencies for payment of the deposit.
Summary
Indeed, online and offline gambling on any privately-owned casino or a betting website is illegal in Norway. Also, the government passed a Payment Act in 2010, so no one can use their credit or debit card to gamble on offshore sites.
The truth of the matter is that people still gamble online on offshore sites using payment methods other than credit or debit cards. They are willing to risk getting caught by the cybersecurity officials in Norway.
