Legalities
Gambling, on the whole, is extremely strictly monitored and regulated in Norway. All gambling is regulated via 2 state-owned organisations: Nork Rikstoto and Norsk Tipping. The former organisation regulates all betting that has to do with animals, while the latter deals with all lotto gambling, sports betting, and other instant betting games.
The government for gambling regulation has stated that their hard stance on gambling is in place in order to protect the vulnerable from gambling addiction. While this seems a noble desire, Norwegians believe that they are being punished for the plight of a very small minority or ‘strugglers’.
While it seems that headway may be made in the future towards legalising online gambling in the country via foreign casinos, currently the government stands firmly against it. Because Norway is not a member state of the European Union, casino operators have not been able to apply pressure on the country to liberalise its laws via the EU Commission, as they have done in Sweden.
But, even when discussing the legalities of online gambling by Norwegian residents, there are no penalties in place to punish players indulging in online casino activities, but rather Norway has based their legislation on the ‘US 2006 Unlawful Internet Enforcement Act’. These laws merely prohibit the advertising of gambling from foreign vendors, as well as the enforcement of funds transferred for betting purposes. This means that no financial institution (bank) in Norway may transact funds to or from an online gambling operator. This does not, however, stop Norwegian gamblers, as there are a number of international third-party payment methods that can be used to transfer funds to and from online casinos in NOK and Euros.
It is also illegal for online casinos outside of Norway to advertise their services to players within the country. Whether the companies are advertising via a television broadcast or via the internet, it is illegal and not permitted in any way.
Local internet service providers are required to block any access to gambling ads by online casinos outside of the jurisdiction in order to protect players that are potentially at risk.
You can learn more with our guide to Gambling Regulations in Norway.
Language and Currency at Norwegian Casinos
Top online casinos prioritise their players and aim to present the very best creature comforts to all of their patrons. One of the best ways to make a player feel comfortable at your online casino is to make sure that you have a site available to them in their own language or a language that they understand fluently.
There are far too many rules and requirements that players need to know at casinos with regards to games, payouts, deposits, bonuses, etc., to turn a blind eye on being able to understand the site’s language.
Misunderstandings in the gambling world causes which could hit you where it hurts – right in your pocketbook, without properly managing your bankroll. It is a good thing then that many of the best online casinos in Europe offer you the chance of playing in Norwegian, Swedish, and English.
As far as playing in your own NOK currency is involved, it is always best to seek out an online casino that offers you playability in your own currency. This is important for two pivotal reasons:
- It avoids you having to possibly pay foreign exchange commissions.
- It avoids any misunderstandings around the value of the bets you place and the wins and losses you incur.
Bonuses and VIP Rewards
Bonuses and special promotions are a fantastic way for a casino to show you how welcome and appreciated you are. The good news is that bonuses for Norway are the most competitive in the industry, which works in your favour as most welcome offers are super generous. Good online casinos will offer exclusive VIP bonuses to Norwegian players, just because they can. The aim of these bonuses is to aid you in getting the best out of your gambling experience.
Bonus credits etc offer you the ability as a new player to get used to the software and games offered to you by the casino vendor before you place a lot of your own money on the ‘table’. Sure, there are playthrough requirements for each bonus offered, but if used wisely, bonuses can work out to be invaluable assets.
Our top listed Norwegian casinos will offer you:
- Match Bonuses: When you place a deposit, the casino will often match the deposit to increase your bankroll and playing time. Some generous offers include a 400% deposit match on your first deposit!
- No Deposit Bonuses: Often, the best casinos will grant you no deposit bonuses, which means that you need not to use any of your own money to start playing games. Merely register a casino profile, claim the bonus and reap the rewards. The playthrough requirements are worth the bounty that can be won.
- VIP Loyalty Program: All of the top casinos recommended by CasinoWow will offer you VIP rewards program when signing on at their establishments. It's always good to get rewards back on a regular basis, especially when you spend hundreds and thousands at a single casino.
World Class Customer Service
Europeans are accustomed to fast and efficient customer service, no matter what sphere or industry they are spending their hard-earned cash on. Nothing short of this standard should be expected when gambling online either.
All of the casinos on this CasinoWow list, have been vetted for you for fast and friendly service in all spheres. You will be able to contact a customer relations representative at the click of a button or two, as most reputable online casinos offer a live chat service, 24 hours a day. Should you prefer, you can seek assistance via email and telephone, too.
Gambling sites that have managed to maintain reputable licenses are only the best in the business and it should, therefore, serve as a double verification of the excellent level of service you can expect from an online casino vendor.
Money Management
We understand the importance of your money, so we have partnered with a list of casino vendors that share our sentiments when it comes to ethical money management. It is not only vital that a casino pays out your dues promptly, but that you get the highest percentage payout as possible. There are many unscrupulous vendors out in the world wide web that offer shocking returns, keeping a high percentage of your hard-worked wins as commissions. Our list of casinos offers fair and fast banking methods to all Norwegian players.
With the sensitive climate of iGaming regulation in your country and the laws preventing your banks from dealing with foreign casino vendors, all the top Norwegian online casinos offer you a variety of fast and efficient payment procedures that will ensure your cash is kept safe. As such, Bank wire transfers, EFT’s and Credit Card payments can be substituted for:
- E-Wallets: Electronic wallets keep all of your transactions to and from online casinos, private. They act as a third-party payment wallet. You can top them up via your bank account with no questions asked and then pay the casino from the wallet. Likewise, win payouts can be paid into the e-wallet first, and then transferred back into your bank account in NOK currency. E-wallets are extremely casino friendly and are among the fastest forms of online payment methods available for real currency.
- Crypto: There are a few online Crypto casinos that accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin. Binance and Coinbase wallets transact privately and are a very fast and secure way of both depositing and withdrawing crypto from a casino. Transactions are usually carried out instantly.
However, recent changes in the Norwegian Market led to the removal of popular payment options such as Skrill, Neteller, Paysafecard, and Rapid Transfer. Players can still use ecoPayz and Crypto as safe options for payment.
Norwegian Online Casinos Summary
Online and mobile gambling has made it so much easier for casinos to reach millions of patrons worldwide. This means that iGaming entertainment is only a mouse click, or screen tap away.
Tough payment provider rules in Norway has done everything but chase all of the top online casino names in the business away. Names like Dunder Casino, Casumo, Sloty, LeoVegas and more, all make their site available to eager Norwegian players, meaning that the best entertainment in the world is a click away.
What’s even better is that all these casinos can be accessed from your mobile phone to offer you ‘gambling on the go’, so that you can virtually play from anywhere, at any time. Kill time between meetings or take a risk while taking your lunch break. The options are just limitless.