Key points:
- Norwegian Lottery Authority, Consumer Authority and Media Authority collaborate to address youth gambling harm
- 64% of helpline users identify online slot machines as a primary gambling problem, with concerns about gaming-gambling convergence in digital entertainment
- Regulatory focus targets loot boxes, skin betting and casino mechanics integrated into computer games
Norwegian regulatory bodies are strengthening their efforts to protect young people from gambling harm, following a rise in calls from younger individuals to the national Gambling Helpline.
Recent data shows that 64% of helpline users identify online casino games – particularly slot machines – as the main source of their gambling issues.
Authorities are increasingly concerned that gambling behaviours are being influenced by video game environments. These include features such as loot boxes, in-game purchases with real or virtual currency and skin betting – where virtual items are used as stakes on third-party gambling sites.
Good to know: A study by the Norwegian Media Authority found that nearly 90% of children aged 9 – 18 play video games, with almost half doing so daily
To address this growing concern, the Norwegian Lottery Authority has partnered with the Norwegian Consumer Authority and the Norwegian Media Authority. Together, they aim to provide more robust supervision, education and policy recommendations targeting gambling elements in digital games.
Their collaboration will also build on previous successful joint actions, such as the removal of illegal gambling advertisements from Norwegian television.
Summing up the collaborative efforts, Mari Velsand, Director of the Norwegian Media Authority, stated: “By working together, we as regulators achieve much more than if we were just working separately.”
This coordinated regulatory response comes as the Norwegian Lottery Authority recently faced operational challenges in monitoring illegal gambling activities. Last week, the Authority disclosed a technical fault in its tip submission system that may have resulted in the loss of hundreds of public reports over a 15-month period from March 2024.
