Norway has just awarded new licences for postal lotteries and a unique recycling scheme. This decision has major economic, social and political implications.
A strategic turning point for postal lotteries
On 15 January 2026, the Norwegian Gaming Authority (Lotteritilsynet) announced a series of decisions on lotteries outside the state monopoly. Until now, only two organisations were allowed to participate in the so-called ‘postcode lottery’ – a format where players pay to enter their postcode in a draw. But now, 23 licences have been granted to charities that will be able to participate in this system in partnership with Norsk Postkodelotteriet, the long-standing operator of this game in Norway. Beneficiaries include internationally known names such as SOS Children’s Villages, WWF, Redd Barna (equivalent to Save the Children), Norwegian Church Aid and Norwegian People’s Aid.
This change represents a significant increase compared to the previous situation and demonstrates a desire to involve more organisations in a mechanism that is often perceived as a stable source of funding. Under the terms of the licences, 50% of net revenue, i.e. after payouts to players, will be distributed among the organisations involved.
Alongside the expansion of postal lotteries, Norway has also granted a unique licence for a recycling-related lottery format known as Pantelotteriet. In this unusual system, participants deposit their bottles and cans in automated recycling machines and choose to convert their deposit into lottery tickets rather than direct cash refunds.
This mechanism, already familiar in several Norwegian cities, is both an incentive to improve recycling rates and an original way to channel funds to recognised causes. The licence has been awarded to the Norwegian Red Cross, which will collaborate with Norsk Pantelotteri, the organisation in charge of the game. As with postal lotteries, at least 50% of the net revenue generated must go to the beneficiary association, which guarantees massive financial support for its projects.
A regulated framework within a contested monopoly
Despite these advances, Norway remains one of the few European countries to maintain a strict national monopoly on most forms of gambling. Apart from postal and recycling lotteries, the entire sector remains controlled by two public entities: Norsk Tipping (which manages traditional lottery games, sports betting and physical slot machines) and Norsk Rikstoto (specialising in horse racing betting).
However, this model is increasingly being challenged in the political arena. Several parties want to introduce a competitive licensing system, similar to the one that exists in Sweden and will be introduced in Finland in 2027. One of the most vocal groups in this debate is the Progress Party, which has been advocating for the opening up of the market for several years.
‘We are one of the few countries that still has this [remote gaming] model,’ said Silje Hjemdal, a member of parliament for the Progress Party, last May. ‘We need to regulate better, and with the current model, huge sums of money leave the country every year without returning to Norwegian sport or culture.’
The controversy is not limited to an ideological dispute over monopoly. Public operators themselves have recently been caught out for regulatory breaches. For example, Norsk Tipping was sanctioned in 2025 for flaws in its self-exclusion mechanisms and technical errors in the management of the Eurojackpot and Lotto lotteries, leading to financial penalties and the resignation of its CEO.
For its part, Norsk Rikstoto was also fined after a bug allowed players to exceed their predefined betting limits. These episodes have fuelled public debate on the need for more transparent and competitive regulation of the sector, particularly to protect consumers and ensure better redistribution of resources in the national economy.
Is there a postcode lottery in Belgium?
There is no postcode lottery in Belgium, but the National Lottery offers a Heritage Tombola to support museums and cultural projects, in addition to donating profits from its other games to sporting, social and cultural projects.