The Norwegian political party Fremskrittspartiet (FrP) has taken a clear position at its party congress. The party wants to abolish the state monopoly on gambling in Norway.
According to FrP, it is time for a new model with licences. This means that other parties would also be allowed to offer gambling, as long as they meet the conditions. The proposal received unanimous support at the congress.
The party wants to allow legal online casinos, physical gaming halls and poker clubs
Fremskrittspartiet proposes to regulate both online and land-based gambling. Besides online casinos, land-based casinos and poker clubs should also be allowed.
The idea is to allow a modern and wide range of games, as is done in Sweden and Denmark. This should include one central exclusion list for high-risk players, for all providers.
Parliamentarians and industry associations call for reform of the system
MPs Silje Hjemdal and Himanshu Gulati support the plan. They say the current rules are too strict and hamper innovation. They want to give legal providers more leeway.
Industry association Pengespillerforeningen calls the initiative positive. It complains about technical problems, low payouts and mandatory limits at state-run providers. It also denounces blockades of foreign gambling sites.
The party says state lotteries will simply continue to exist under Norsk Tipping
Fremskrittspartiet wants the big lotteries to remain under the control of Norsk Tipping. Think Lotto, Viking-Lotto and Eurojackpot. These now provide most of the revenue for sports and charities.
According to the party, that source of money will remain unaffected. The reform is mainly about casino games, sports betting and poker.
An open model could generate additional tax revenue for the Norwegian state
Fremskrittspartiet argues that more legal providers provide more tax revenue. The Norwegian state then benefits from a broader market with more competition and supervision.
The party believes that this system better protects players. At the same time, the government keeps more of an eye on what is happening. According to them, the current monopoly is outdated and no longer works.
Other parties and organisations also support the end of the monopoly
The conservative Høyre party has also previously expressed its support for an open gambling market. This is notable because the party was previously in favour of the monopoly.
The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and the Norsk Bransjeforening for Onlinespill (NBO) are also in favour. They are working together to set up a licensing system.
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has repeatedly called on Norway to change the model. According to EGBA, half of Norwegian gamblers now play at illegal providers.