Norway Launches Four-Year Strategy to Combat Problem Gambling and Protect Young People

The Norwegian government has introduced an extensive four-year action plan designed to prevent and address problem gambling, outlining a coordinated national effort that will run from 2026 through 2029. Announced on Friday, the initiative brings together a broad set of measures including prevention campaigns, expanded treatment services, and a strengthened research framework. Notably, the strategy avoids introducing new regulatory restrictions, instead focusing on improving public awareness, increasing access to treatment, and building a stronger evidence base rather than altering existing rules on gambling access, age limits, or betting thresholds. Authorities emphasized that the overarching aim is to reduce the number of individuals developing gambling-related harm, stressing that safeguarding vulnerable populations must outweigh commercial considerations.

At the center of the strategy is a clear focus on young people, particularly those between the ages of 9 and 25. Officials highlighted that individuals aged 12 to 17 are especially exposed to gambling-like mechanisms embedded in digital entertainment, such as loot boxes and skins in video games. However, the plan also casts a wider net, identifying several additional at-risk groups including athletes, incarcerated individuals, people with neurodevelopmental conditions, those not engaged in education or employment, and individuals with a history of gambling problems. By targeting these diverse populations, the government aims to address both emerging and established pathways into harmful gambling behavior.

Prevention initiatives form a cornerstone of the programme, with a strong emphasis on outreach through schools, sports clubs, and youth organizations, complemented by digital campaigns and informational resources aimed at adults. The plan assigns defined roles to key public bodies, including Lotteritilsynet, Medietilsynet, and Helsedirektoratet, ensuring a coordinated institutional response. Collaboration will also extend to the Norwegian Film Institute and a range of voluntary organizations, particularly in efforts tied to gaming culture and support services. Educational initiatives will be rolled out across schools and extracurricular environments to help young people better understand gambling-like features within digital games and the risks associated with them.

To maximize reach, prevention materials will be distributed through widely used youth-oriented platforms such as ung.no and snakkomspill.no, as well as across social media channels. Targeted campaigns will specifically address individuals aged 16 to 25, focusing on both the risks and legal aspects of gambling. In parallel, the government will provide tools and training designed to help identify early warning signs of gambling-related harm. These resources will be made available to a wide range of stakeholders, including parents, teachers, coaches, healthcare professionals, probation officers, prison staff, employers, and banking personnel.

The plan also prioritizes strengthening existing support systems by enhancing low-threshold services that are easily accessible to those in need. This includes the expansion of Hjelpelinjen, Norway’s national gambling helpline, with improved accessibility features such as chat-based support tailored to younger users. In addition, the government will continue to offer free, remote treatment programmes, typically delivered over 12 weeks via telephone, without requiring referrals from general practitioners. These services are designed to lower barriers to treatment and encourage early intervention.

Integration with broader public health strategies is another key feature of the initiative. The plan aligns with Norway’s wider digital youth policies, including recent guidance on screen time and national strategies addressing addiction and suicide prevention. This alignment reinforces the government’s framing of gambling-related harm as both a public health issue and a matter of consumer protection. Authorities also intend to strengthen coordination at the national level by embedding gambling harm more firmly within existing health frameworks. Increased collaboration between the Directorate of Health and regional competence centers, known as KORUS, is expected to expand the reach of support services into local communities.

Special attention is being directed toward the prison system, where gambling-related harm often manifests in the form of accumulated debts during incarceration. The plan calls for heightened awareness and training among prison staff and healthcare providers to better equip them to identify and treat gambling problems among inmates. This focus reflects a broader commitment to ensuring that vulnerable populations within institutional settings are not overlooked.

Ongoing data collection and research will play a critical role in supporting the initiative. Regular surveys conducted by Lotteritilsynet and Medietilsynet on gambling and gaming participation will continue, alongside the introduction of a new nationwide survey specifically targeting gambling and gaming-related problems. These efforts are intended to provide a more detailed understanding of trends and inform future policy decisions.

The strategy also encourages closer collaboration with regulated gambling operators through an annual forum aimed at reinforcing responsible gaming practices. At the same time, authorities plan to deepen cooperation with banks and financial institutions in order to limit the flow of money to unlicensed foreign gambling providers. Frontline banking staff may receive specialized training to recognize signs of gambling-related harm among customers, further extending the network of early detection.

This renewed emphasis on prevention and public health comes at a time of increased scrutiny surrounding the state-owned gambling operator Norsk Tipping, which holds a monopoly over regulated online gambling in Norway. A series of recent incidents has raised concerns about the robustness of its systems and its ability to adequately protect players. These include a technical malfunction that resulted in incorrect lottery payouts, as well as a separate issue linked to Eurojackpot that exposed weaknesses in internal controls and led to regulatory intervention and financial penalties. Additional criticism has been directed at the operator’s development processes and operational performance, with reports pointing to shortcomings in platform reliability and user experience.

These developments have intensified debate over whether Norway’s monopoly model is sufficiently resilient to achieve its stated consumer protection goals. As the government moves forward with its new action plan, questions remain about the balance between maintaining a state-controlled system and ensuring it meets the highest standards of safety and accountability. Norway’s renewed focus on sustainable and protective gambling practices aligns with broader international trends, as other countries, including Spain, have also recently introduced new programmes aimed at promoting safer gambling environments and protecting younger populations.

By fLEXI tEAM