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Norway’s Ministry of Culture and Equality has opened a public consultation that could pave the way for the country’s first legal online poker product. The plan would allow state-owned operator Norsk Tipping to launch both tournaments and cash games, marking a potential end to years without a regulated domestic option.
The consultation, running until November 29, comes from a country with some of Europe’s strictest gambling laws despite producing standout players such as WSOP Main Event winners Annette Obrestad and Espen Jorstad, along with respected pros Kayhan Mokri and Jon Kyte.
Culture and Equality Minister Lubna Jaffery said the goal is to offer a safer alternative to the unregulated foreign sites many Norwegians already use. A 2022 University of Bergen study estimated close to 90,000 Norwegians played poker with overseas operators annually, while Norsk Tipping now believes that number could range between 100,000 and 150,000.
However, the proposed product carries notable restrictions. Cash games would be capped at a NOK 10 (about $1) maximum big blind and a NOK 1,000 (around $104) buy-in, while tournament buy-ins would be limited to NOK 2,500 (approximately $260). The platform would also shut down nightly between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m.
Critics, including Poker.pro, argue these limits suit recreational players but may not appeal to more serious or high-stakes grinders already playing elsewhere.
Norway has relied on payment blocking since 2010 and DNS blocking since 2025 to curb access to foreign sites, though regulators admit enforcement remains incomplete. Major operators like PokerStars exited the market in 2023, and under this proposal, Norsk Tipping would remain the sole legal provider, with no return planned for international operators.
