Norwegian gambling regulator Lottstift is awaiting a response from Norsk Tipping after finding the state-owned operator had breached underage policies.
Having been tipped off by a bank, the gambling regulator has accused Norsk Tipping of allowing a person under 18 to interact with its gambling services.
A “large total amount” of money had been transferred from a bank account owned by someone under 18, flowing into a Norsk Tipping customer account that had been registered for over a year.
Although the account had not been registered using the underage gambler’s name, Lotteritilsynet estimated that the player had used someone else’s details to set-up the account.
Two of Lottstift’s legal advisors, Anya Therese Markhus and Monica Alisøy Kjelsnes, issued a letter to the operator on 15 May requesting answers to nine questions centered around several reported incidents of underage gambling.
The Norwegian government-owned operator now has two weeks to answer the questions laid out by Markhus and Kjelsnes. The questions also aim to find out more about the operator’s financial risk checks as well as other player protection services.
While the operator comes up with a response to the regulator’s letter, Tore Bell, Department Director at the Norwegian Gambling Authority, has explained that “it is too early to determine what has happened”.
Depending on this response, the regulator will have several options of regulatory action to take if wrongdoing has been found, such as encouraging Norsk Tipping to strengthen its age verification policies.
Lottstift can also implement daily fines until each of Norsk Tipping’s compliance shortfallings have been addressed.
More damaging actions that the regulator can enforce include giving the operator a financial sanction based on a percentage of its GGR, if negligence has been found in this specific case of underage gambling.
Facing the consequences of failing to meet compliance standards comes at an awkward time for Norsk Tipping, as the operator called for greater research into problem gambling statistics last week.
Norks Tipping proposed that the 2026 action plan take into consideration the impact problem gambling has on different minorities. The operator argues that conducting such surveys will give it a better grasp of the market.
The authority continues to prioritise player safety and integrity, and last month, along with major sports organisations, gaming companies, mapped out a collaborative plan to combat match manipulation.
There is now an increasing number of international gaming operators that offer betting on Norwegian sports, which officials fear may increase the risk of betting manipulation.
Notably, the gaming regulator stated that there is reason to believe that many gaming companies do not report abnormal activity.
Eirik Tysse, Lottstift Senior Advisor, said: “Steps are being taken to strengthen preventive work and increase the chances of uncovering and responding to manipulation of sports competitions.
“We need to increase knowledge and awareness about the regulations regarding the manipulation of sports competitions.”