SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The Norwegian government is reportedly assessing whether gambling state monopoly Norsk Tipping should absorb the horseracing services of Rikstoto, simplifying Norway’s gambling frameworks.
Norway’s Ministry of Culture will undertake its review of Rikstoto in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture – the department which to date has managed regulatory oversight of the racing monopoly.
The review will evaluate whether to extend Rikstoto’s contract beyond 2021 as the monopoly operator of Norwegian horseracing services including pari-mutuel systems and management of wagering provisions for Øvrevoll Racecourse, Norway’s sole racetrack.
The upcoming review of Rikstoto by the Ministry of Culture sees the Norwegian government cancel its plans to introduce a controversial player loss limit of NK 27,000 (€2,700) per month, a provision supported by Norway’s Lottery Association.
The provision had been criticised by Norway’s wider racing community, with Knut Weum Chief Executive of ‘Det Norske Travelskap (DNT)’ Norway’s racing authority stating that the sports would be ‘bankrupt without wagers of big players’.
Leading the review of Rikstoto, Culture Minister Trine Skei Grande stated that the department would be balanced in its review of the monopoly, weighing up its exclusive rights model and finding the right balance between social responsibility and maintaining Norwegian equestrian sport.
