According to a new report from Lottstift.no, fewer Norwegians are using foreign gambling sites, while more are sticking with local, licensed operators.
Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto saw strong growth in 2024, both in the number of players and in how much people are spending. Over two million users played with Norsk Tipping at least once last year - up from 1.8 million in 2023.
The biggest growth was seen in fast-play games like Instaspill. These numbers show that people are moving away from foreign gambling platforms and choosing Norwegian options more frequently when they play.
Drop in foreign turnover, but new risks emerge
The report also shows that foreign gambling companies made less money in 2024. Their estimated net turnover dropped from NOK 1.6 billion in 2023 to NOK 1.3 billion. Still, getting the remaining users to switch to legal sites may be harder. For the highest-risk games — those that directly compete with local offerings — foreign operators still held up to 28% of the market.
One concerning trend, however, is how young adults are gambling. The authority notes that players aged 18 to 25 are increasingly drawn to high-risk games, showing behavior usually seen in older, more experienced gamblers. This is raising red flags for both regulators and Norsk Tipping alike.
To help tackle the issue, the report suggests making certain casino-style games less risky and less appealing to younger users. These findings have been submitted to the Ministry of Culture and shared with both Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto, with hopes of shaping safer gambling in the years ahead.
