Starting from 1 January, the Norwegian Media Authority will have the ability to prevent TV advertising from international gambling companies. At the same time, the Ministry of Culture will tighten the guidelines for Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto, limiting their advertising to what is necessary to divert consumers away from unlicensed private operators and towards the two state-owned operators.
The new guidelines have several implications, including toning down the use of tools in Norsk Tipping’s marketing that highlight high profits and contributions to good causes. Additionally, the requirements for responsible marketing will be increased, with all advertisements required to include contact information for gambling helpline services.
The introduction of the Norwegian Media Authority’s new tool to stop gambling advertising on television, along with the stricter guidelines for Norsk Tipping, is part of the government’s preventive efforts against gambling problems. The decision to take action was influenced by the University of Bergen’s survey on the extent of gambling and computer gambling problems in Norway in 2019, which showed an increase in gambling problems compared to a previous survey in 2015, partly due to advertising.
Abid Raja, Minister of Culture, stated, “It is concerning that gambling problems in the population are increasing, and we are implementing various measures to reverse this trend. Stopping TV advertising from foreign gambling companies is an important step in preventing gambling problems. With fewer gambling advertisements on TV, we can also tighten the guidelines for Norsk Tipping’s marketing.”
Earlier this month, Norsk Tipping implemented temporary measures for December and January to reduce spending and playing time. These measures included reducing the maximum monthly loss limit on high-risk games by 25% and increasing the mandatory break players must take after continuous play from 90 seconds to 15 minutes.
Parallel to these actions, the Norwegian government pledged an additional NOK15m to address problem gambling issues in the country. This funding follows the Norwegian Industry Association for Online Gaming’s call in October for a complete reassessment of rules pertaining to the sector in response to proposed new gambling legislation. The association advocates for a licensing model for private operators with a 15% tax rate, which it believes would result in a channeling rate of over 95%.
