Norsk Tipping underage betting breaches investigated by regulator
Norway’s state-owned gambling operator Norsk Tipping is under investigation after regulators discovered minors transferred funds through adult accounts. The Norwegian Gambling Authority (NGA) revealed a bank flagged a “large total amount” – reportedly 100,000 NOK (£7,400) – moving from a minor’s account to Norsk Tipping’s platform over a year.
While no under-18s created direct accounts, officials suspect adults shared login details, violating both the operator’s terms and Norway’s Gambling Act.
Tore Bell, : “It is too early to determine what has happened. We will investigate the matter further and have asked Norsk Tipping for more information”. The regulator highlighted 21 similar tip-offs since January 2024, raising concerns about systemic oversight gaps.
Digital payment systems face regulatory heat
The probe targets Norsk Tipping’s use of Vipps and Apple Pay, with regulators questioning whether these methods comply with anti-money laundering rules. A 15 May Anya Therese Markhus and Monica Alisøy Kjelsnes demands answers about when these payment options launched and what safeguards prevent underage access.
Among the nine questions sent to Norsk Tipping, the NGA asked: “How do you assess these payment solutions against the requirements of the Money Laundering Act when you do not know whether the funds belong to the registered customer?” This line of inquiry highlights the regulator’s concern that current systems may not adequately verify the true source of deposited funds, especially when accounts are shared.
Other key queries include:
- How Vipps/Apple Pay align with Section 7 of Norway’s Gambling Act (requiring abuse detection)
- Whether Norsk Tipping can verify if deposited funds belong to account holders
- Why the operator didn’t flag 21 prior cases to regulators
Officials also asked if removing these payment methods is under consideration, citing fears they enable “borrowed” account use.
Repeat offender faces mounting compliance challenges
This isn’t Norsk Tipping’s first regulatory clash. In 2024, the operator nearly received a 36 million NOK (£2.6m) fine after a software update disabled iOS app self-exclusion tools. Earlier, it had also incorrectly announced lottery winners, highlighting persistent operational issues.
The current investigation could lead to daily fines until compliance improves, percentage-based penalties tied to revenue, and mandated system upgrades for age verification.
Norsk Tipping has until late May 2025 to respond. With Norway’s gambling market tightening, including DNS blocks on 57 illegal sites in April, the outcome could reshape national oversight standards.
