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Gambling in Norway: Monopoly in theory, free market in practice
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When it comes to gambling legislation, some European countries give their citizens maximum freedom and others impose maximum restrictions. One country, Norway, fits both descriptions. Despite the best efforts of the Norwegian government to monopolise gambling in recent years, its citizens are free to play online bingo or use online casinos without fear of punishment.
In Theory, Norway has Gambling Monopoly
Under Norwegian law, only state-owned Norsk Tipping and industry-run Norsk Rikstoto are allowed to offer gambling services. Commercial operators may apply for permission to offer restricted gambling activities, but aren’t eligible for a full gaming licence. Under the Norwegian government’s heavily restrictive rules, licenced gaming operators must allocate 35% of profits to Norsk Tipping and 30% to good causes.
Norway has flirted with the idea of blocking unlicensed gambling sites but has never gone through with it. Norway’s tough stance on competition has even brought it unwanted attention from the European Free Trade Association, of which Norway is a member. At one stage, the EFTA signalled it would challenge Norway if it imposed restrictions on where its citizens could gamble. Critics of Norway’s stance have pointed out that its position has more to do with protecting revenues than out of actual concern for Norwegian punters.
Norwegians Free to Choose Gambling Operator in Practice
The good news for Norwegian citizens is that the government has never followed through with its threats to block IP addresses of online gambling sites. What’s more, the Lottery Act, the Gaming Scheme Act, and the Totalisor Act don’t actually prohibit Norwegian citizens from participating in unlicensed gambling activities. Norwegians may use online bingos or online casinos from any service provider they like – and in fact many of them do.
It’s been estimated that there are hundreds of Norwegian-language online bingo sites and online casinos. Some of the most popular bingo platforms catering to Norwegians include MariaBingo, Unibet, and Bettson. These are all large gambling providers that operate sites in multiple languages including Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, and Estonian. All these sites let Norwegian citizens cash in and cash out using Norwegian krone. All of them have steps in place to ensure their users gamble responsibly. Looking at this review about MariaBingo will give more in detail information about the benefits as well as cons for Scandinavians.
Because Norway doesn’t actually have laws in place to restrict use of these services, most Norwegians log on to bingo and other gambling sites without even bothering to use a VPN.
Online Bingo Will Remain Free for Foreseeable Future
Judging by the developments of the past few years, Norwegian citizens will remain free to play online bingo anywhere they like for the foreseeable future. Norway’s economy relies heavily on North Sea oil and gas, so it’s possible the government will make another play for gambling revenues if the oil price stays low for a long time. But pressure from the EFTA and other European bodies in which Norway has membership may force the government to back off. For Norwegian online gamblers, that’s good news.
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: Gambling in Norway: Monopoly in theory, free market in practice

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DATA.BET Teams up with Pragmatic Play Sports – Partnership to deliver full esports solution
DATA.BET, the trusted sportsbook solution supplier, has partnered with Pragmatic Play, a leading content supplier to the iGaming industry, to expand the gaming provider’s new esports betting product.
Through the collaboration, Pragmatic Play Sports can provide an esports solution that combines premium content with official data and best-in-class streaming technology.
DATA.BET will deliver its complete esports offering, giving Pragmatic Play Sports access to its odds feed and customisable Multi Widget that combines Scoreboards, Pitch Tracker, and low-latency live Video Streaming into a single interface.
Pragmatic Play Sports customers now have access to DATA.BET’s entire catalogue of 30+ esports disciplines, which includes some of the world’s most in-demand esports titles, such as Counter-Strike, Dota 2, EA Sports FC, Valorant, and League of Legends.
A broader rollout of additional disciplines is scheduled for upcoming phases through 2026. The collaboration equips Pragmatic Play Sports with reliable, premium esports content supported by strong infrastructure and seamless integration to meet the growing needs of its operators and customers.
“This is a long-term alignment where we will grow in the esports space together and deliver a strong, revenue-generating product to Pragmatic Play Sports and their clients,” said Otto Bonning, Head of Sales at DATA.BET. “We are eager to collaborate with such a forward-looking team and continue delivering tools that help drive global growth. For DATA.BET, the project reinforces its strategy of delivering modular, scalable integrations to global leading partners.”
Gareth Crook, SVP of Sports at Pragmatic Play, said: “We’re delighted to expand our new esports product in conjunction with DATA.BET. This partnership delivers a complete esports solution powered by official data, giving operators reliable pricing and extensive event and market uptime. Alongside this, Pragmatic Play provides a premium range of managed services – including trading and risk management of esports – to ensure operators have the confidence and support they need. Esports is one of the fastest-growing global betting verticals, and this launch reinforces our commitment to an official-data approach while adding a truly dynamic new product to our already extensive portfolio.”
This collaboration marks another step in DATA.BET’s roadmap for scaling esports accessibility across the betting industry.
The post DATA.BET Teams up with Pragmatic Play Sports – Partnership to deliver full esports solution appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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XSOLLA WEB SHOP AND SINGULAR JOIN FORCES TO DELIVER CROSS-PLATFORM LTV AND ROAS MEASUREMENT SOLUTIONS
Xsolla Web Shop And Singular S2S Integration Bridges The Gap Between Mobile Marketing And Web Transactions For Complete Campaign Visibility
Xsolla, a global video game commerce company that helps developers launch, grow, and monetize their games, today announced a new mobile-focused Server-to-Server (S2S) integration with Singular, a leading marketing analytics and attribution platform. The integration unifies mobile marketing data with direct-to-consumer web purchases, enabling developers to measure campaign performance and player value more accurately than ever before.
As mobile game makers increasingly turn to Web Shops to expand revenue streams beyond app stores, one challenge has persisted: how to tie those off-platform transactions back to mobile marketing spend. The Xsolla Web Shop + Singular S2S integration closes this gap by treating Web Shop purchases as attributable events, giving developers true Return on Advertising Spend (ROAS) and comprehensive Lifetime Value (LTV) insights.
Key advantages of the Xsolla Web Shop + Singular S2S integration:
- Capture both mobile and web purchases as part of a single funnel
- Link revenue directly to user acquisition and re-engagement campaigns
- Reveal the complete LTV picture across app and Web Shop transactions
With this integration, Web Shop purchases are transmitted to Singular as server-to-server events, then mapped back to the correct install source or re-engagement campaign. This provides growth teams with a single, trusted view of performance across all platforms.
“Having launched more than 600 mobile Web Shops, we’ve seen developers demand actionable data that connects web monetization with mobile marketing,” said Berkley Egenes, Chief Marketing & Growth Officer at Xsolla. “Our new S2S integration with Singular delivers that missing link, giving teams the clarity to optimize and scale their Web Shop strategies confidently.”
“Our goal at Singular has always been to simplify complex data and make it actionable for growth teams,” said Gadi Eliashiv, CEO and Co-Founder at Singular. “By partnering with Xsolla, we’re giving developers the full-funnel visibility they need to measure ROI and maximize revenue across every platform.”
Learn more about the S2S integration for Xsolla Web Shop and Singular at: xsolla.pro/singular
The post XSOLLA WEB SHOP AND SINGULAR JOIN FORCES TO DELIVER CROSS-PLATFORM LTV AND ROAS MEASUREMENT SOLUTIONS appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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eGaming Integrity Welcomes Hayley Ashton as Compliance Manager
eGaming Integrity is proud to announce the appointment of Hayley Ashton as its new Compliance Manager, effective immediately. Hayley joins the firm in response to growing client demand for enhanced compliance support across the Isle of Man’s eGaming sector.
Hayley’s career reflects deep expertise across the regulatory and financial services sectors. She has gained extensive experience in anti-money laundering frameworks, risk assessment, and governance best practices, with a proven ability to support organisations in maintaining the highest compliance standards.
With diplomas in Anti-Money Laundering and Governance, Risk and Compliance from the International Compliance Association, alongside a BA in Primary Education with Qualified Teacher Status from Leeds Beckett University, Hayley combines technical knowledge with strong skills in training, leadership, and operational delivery.
Emma Shilling, Director at eGaming Integrity, commented: “The demand for practical, outcome-focused compliance advice continues to grow as the GSC elevates standards and the island prepares for MONEYVAL. Hayley’s appointment reflects our commitment to meeting that demand, and her experience and proactive style will ensure clients get the support they need where it matters most.”
Hayley Ashton added: “I’m passionate about fostering compliance cultures that are both effective and sustainable. Delivering practical, outcomes-focused guidance tailored to real-world business contexts is where I believe compliance adds its most valuable contribution. I’m looking forward to working closely with our clients and helping them put robust, workable compliance practices in place.”
Hayley’s appointment strengthens eGaming Integrity’s team of industry experts and former regulators, reinforcing its leadership in mock audits, remediation and internal audits for the Isle of Man’s egaming licence holders.
The post eGaming Integrity Welcomes Hayley Ashton as Compliance Manager appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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