Norway introduces loss limits to bingo games

The Norwegian government has decided to double down on its responsible gambling and consumer protection measures by targeting bingo halls and games in the country.

The government argued in a new statement published on its official website that bingo games have been operating without a loss limit, which goes against the grain of the country’s consumer protection framework when games of chance are involved.

Introducing loss limits on bingo to protect player safety

This is now going to change, says Culture and Equality Minister Lubna Jaffery who confirmed that bingo games – physical and online – will have to introduce restrictions on how much a player may lose.

The venues and businesses impacted by the change will have to enforce the loss limit restrictions come January 1, 2025, the government confirmed. In a translated statement, Minister Jaffery added:

"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."

The government insists that the changes are aligned with input regarding what activities, games, and practices could lead to gambling addiction, which is why the government also seeks to create a model that allows it to address these risks right away.

The Minister added that if left unchecked, the harm that people who suffer problems with gambling issues could face – along with their families – could be enormous. This is why bingo games should also be brought under the same standard of consumer protection.

Minister Jaffery said that the government was keen to introduce the changes before the year’s end but acknowledged that additional input may be needed to best understand how these changes would impact business.

Harmonizing responsible gambling measures in Norway

The Minister similarly said that the "exclusivity business model" is still one that must be fully accountable, and this includes protecting consumers from harm, which can be achieved through the introduction of loss limits.

Thanks to these changes, Norway’s bingo sector will now have a responsible gambling framework in place that is harmonized with the other gambling products available in the country.

Norway has been particularly determined to uproot bad practices. Last year, the government announced DNS blocking against illegal gambling websites, as the country was looking to restrict the access and clout of black markets in the country.

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