The Norwegian government is set to bring in new regulations for electronic bingo games played in bingo halls and online.
The new regulations will require all bingo game suppliers to register their games with the national gambling regulator by 1 January 2025, with land-based bingo operators required to register their venues by 1 September 2025.
Loss limits will also be introduced at the same time as the registration requirements, although these limits are yet to be defined.
The new regulations are a result of a consultation process that garnered over 500 responses from various industry stakeholders.
“Electronic bingo games in bingo halls and online in connection with the bingo venue have for a long time been allowed to operate without loss limits, this has come at the expense of vulnerable players and their relatives,” said Norwegian Culture and Equality Minister Lubna Jaffery.
“We would of course have wanted everything to be in place by the turn of the year, but in this context have chosen to listen to the industry associations who have given a good description of the challenges that the changes entail.”
“Our gambling policy is based on the consideration of people who are in the risk zone for gambling addiction,” she added.
“The exclusive rights model is built on accountability, and I therefore believe it is right to primarily take the vulnerable players into account here. The consequences for people with gambling problems and their relatives can be enormous.”