Is online gambling legal in Norway?

Only the state-run operator is licensed (online casino, sports betting and online poker are legal). Other sites are unlicensed and give you no protection.

Online sports betting is available only from the state-run operator, State-Run. Online casino is available only from the state-run operator, State-Run. Online poker is available only from the state-run operator, State-Run. The lottery is available only from the state-run operator, State-Run.

Using a VPN to reach gambling sites from Norway: Legal for general use, but using a VPN to reach illegal offshore gambling sites is a legal grey area for players.

Gambling with crypto: The state-run monopolies do not accept cryptocurrency. It is not explicitly regulated for players and sits in a legal grey area, and authorities monitor it for AML risks. Offshore operators use it to bypass payment blocks.

You must be 18 to gamble online in Norway, for online casino, sports betting and lottery alike.

Winnings from the state monopolies (Norsk Tipping, Norsk Rikstoto) are tax-free. Single prizes from foreign or unlicensed operators exceeding NOK 10,000 are considered incidental income and are taxable at a 22% rate. This applies per individual prize, not as an annual cumulative total.

There are approximately 2 licensed operators in Norway as of 9 Oct 2026.

Always verify a casino holds a valid The Norwegian Gambling and Foundation Authority (Lotteri- og stiftelsestilsynet) licence before depositing. Check the official register before signing up.

The official register of licensed sitesThe Norwegian Gambling and Foundation Authority (Lotteri- og stiftelsestilsynet)'s website

Prominent operators in Norway

If a site isn't on the regulator's licensee register, ask the regulator before you play: an unlisted site is usually not licensed here (a register can lag behind a new licence). An unlicensed site is outside the regulator's supervision, so you cannot complain to the regulator about it.

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  Check if the site is one of the two legal monopolies

  The only two legal gambling websites in Norway are norsk-tipping.no and rikstoto.no. Any other website offering online casino, sports betting, or lottery services for money is operating illegally in Norway.

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  Look for mandatory play and loss limits

  Legal Norwegian sites require you to set mandatory limits on how much you can lose per day, week, and month before you can play. These are a core feature of the regulated system and include specific, stricter limits for younger players.

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  Confirm the use of Norwegian BankID for verification

  The legal operators use secure, official identification methods like BankID for registration and login to verify age and identity. Offshore sites will use less rigorous methods.

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  Ensure payment is via standard Norwegian banking methods

  Legal sites will accept direct deposits from Norwegian bank accounts and cards. If a site pushes you towards e-wallets, crypto, or other intermediary payment services, it is a major red flag that they are circumventing the legal payment blocks on unlicensed operators.

What the rules mean for bonus offers you see in Norway. The rules operators must follow are on the operator page.

1. 1

   1. Direct Complaint to the Operator

   The first step is to file a formal complaint directly with the customer service department of either Norsk Tipping or Norsk Rikstoto. They are obligated to have internal procedures for handling disputes.

2. 2

   2. Escalate to the Norwegian Gambling Authority

   If the player is unsatisfied with the operator's resolution, they can escalate the complaint to the regulator, Lotteri- og stiftelsestilsynet. The authority supervises the monopolies and will investigate whether the operator has acted in accordance with its legal obligations.

3. 3

   3. Legal Action

   The final recourse is to pursue the matter through the Norwegian court system. This would typically involve civil litigation to recover funds or seek damages.

• Myth

  It's legal for me to play on any foreign website, even if they don't have a Norwegian license.
  Reality

  While Norwegian law does not criminalize the act of playing on foreign sites for the individual, the entire ecosystem is designed to prevent it. It is illegal for those sites to offer services in Norway, and the government actively blocks them via DNS filtering and payment blocking. Any winnings over NOK 10,000 are also subject to a 22% tax.

• Myth

  My winnings from foreign sites are tax-free, just like from Norsk Tipping.
  Reality

  This is false. Only winnings from the legal monopolies, Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto, are tax-free. A single prize valued at more than NOK 10,000 from any other operator is considered taxable income and must be declared, with a tax rate of 22%.

• Myth

  Using a VPN makes playing on foreign sites completely safe and legal.
  Reality

  A VPN only hides your IP address. It does not change the legal status of the offshore operator, which is still acting illegally by targeting Norway. Furthermore, it does not solve the problem of payment blocking, which is a primary enforcement tool used by the authorities.