Norway Slashes Problem Gambling in Two

Norway has slashed the number of problem gambling in two, a recent survey shows. After recording a concerning 55,000 addicts in 2019, the country has now updated this number, counting only 23,000 problem gamblers.

According to the survey, which was compiled by Spillforsk and the University of Bergen, there are currently 93,000 at-risk consumers in Norway. This number also demonstrates an improvement from 2019, when the number of risky customers was 122,000.

The Lotteri- og stiftelsestilsynet, a body that regulates gambling in the country, attributed the favorable results to the progress in safer gambling initiatives and tools. While the proliferation of online gaming led to record-high problem gambling rates in 2019, Norway has since been able to counteract and mitigate the harm.

Nordal Says There Is More to Be Done

Henrik Nordal, director of the authority, elaborated on the matter, saying that Norway’s increased efforts against the black market and the innovative safer gambling measures in the country have provided relief to the local players.

The black market is, in many markets, considered to be one of the biggest threats to player health, since offshore brands rarely offer the same protections as their licensed counterparts. As a result, Norway took action to limit the unregulated market’s influence by blocking bank deposits and cracking down on illegal TV ads.

Meanwhile, Norsk Tipping, Norway’s state-owned operator, introduced new safer gambling measures such as loss limits. In addition, a new debt register now prevents people from amassing huge gambling debts.

Nordal added that problem gambling is still a serious problem and vowed to continue working to prevent gambling-related problems.

The Crackdown on Ads Mitigated Harm

The final nail in the coffin was Norway’s crackdown on gambling ads which prohibited operators from advertising their services starting January 1, 2023. While preventing each and any ad will likely be impossible, the dramatic decline in advertisements has proven to have a favorable effect on the problem gambling rates.

Nordal said that previously, the ads led to confusion about the legality of certain unlicensed operators, nurturing the black market. Luckily, people are now more or less familiar with the distinctions between legal and illegal gambling, the director said.

In other news, Norsk Tipping’s Grasrotandelen program just provided $24 million to good causes. The program allows players to pick a charity organization and sports team and send it 7% of the size of their bets.