TLDR
- Norway’s Ministry of Culture and Equality has proposed letting state-owned Norsk Tipping offer online poker for the first time.
- Players would face a daily loss cap of NOK5,000 and a monthly cap of NOK10,000.
- Players could join no more than four tables at once, and tournament players would take mandatory breaks.
- Surveys estimate 90,000 to 150,000 Norwegians play online poker each year on foreign sites.
- The public consultation on the proposal runs until 29 November 2026.
Norway’s government has proposed allowing online poker for the first time. The plan would let the state-owned operator Norsk Tipping offer the game legally.
The Ministry of Culture and Equality published a public consultation on 29 September. The goal is to move players away from unregulated foreign sites and into a regulated market.
Officials said the aim is not to expand gambling. Instead, they want existing demand to be met within responsible limits.
What the Online Poker Proposal Includes
The proposal would allow Norsk Tipping to offer two types of online poker. These are tournament poker and cash games.
Poker is already allowed in limited forms in Norway, such as private home games and the yearly national championship. Online poker, however, remains outside the legal framework.
Under current law, Norsk Tipping runs games that need “special public control” because of high stakes or gambling risks. The government sees online poker as a natural extension of that role.
Strict Limits on Losses and Play Time
Players would face a daily loss cap of NOK5,000, or about $521. The monthly loss limit would be NOK10,000. Players under 20 would have a lower monthly cap of NOK2,000.
Tournament buy-ins would be capped at NOK2,500, including fees. Cash-game buy-ins would be limited to NOK1,000, with blinds of NOK5 and NOK10.
Tournament players would need to take a five-minute break after every hour of play. Cash-game players could set their own time limits.
Players could join no more than four tables at the same time. Anyone switching directly between poker and online casino games would face a 15-minute pause.
Norsk Tipping would use its “Spillepuls” tool to monitor risk and encourage healthy play. The consultation also asks whether online poker marketing should be banned or heavily restricted to protect young and vulnerable users.
Many Norwegians already play online poker. A 2022 University of Bergen survey found nearly 90,000 people in Norway play each year through overseas sites.
Norsk Tipping’s own research suggests the number may be higher. It estimates between 100,000 and 150,000 players a year, with up to 130,000 active each quarter.
Several grey market operators have left Norway in recent years. PokerStars exited in 2023, and Unibet and 888 also removed their local offerings.
Minister of Culture and Equality Lubna Jaffery said the change is about reducing harm. “Many Norwegians play online poker. It is better that we get a responsible and safer offer here in Norway, rather than unregulated games at foreign, commercial gaming companies,” she said.
The Norwegian Poker Federation has previously backed a regulated domestic product. It said such an option would be safer than unregulated platforms.
The proposal also adds a new reporting rule. Norsk Tipping, Norsk Rikstoto and major bingo and lottery suppliers would have to report serious incidents to the regulator, Lotteritilsynet.
The plan also includes small changes to how local bingo funds are paid out. Unclaimed money would return to Norsk Tipping for redistribution.
The government shortened the consultation period so Norsk Tipping can start preparing quickly. The consultation runs until 29 November 2026.
