Targeting bingo halls and games nationwide, the Norwegian government has made the decision to step up its efforts to promote responsible gaming and safeguard consumers.

In a recent statement posted on its official website, the government contended that bingo games have been operating without a loss cap, which is contrary to the nation's framework for protecting consumers when it comes to games of chance.

Setting bingo loss caps to ensure player safety

This will now change, according to Culture and Equality Minister Lubna Jaffery, who also confirmed that both online and physical bingo games will need to impose limits on the maximum amount of money a player can lose.

The government confirmed that on January 1, 2025, the affected venues and businesses will have to implement the loss limit restrictions. Minister Jaffery added in a statement that was translated:

"We would of course have wanted everything to be in place by the turn of the year, but in this context have chosen to listen to the industry associations who have given a good description of the challenges that the changes entail."

The government also aims to develop a model that enables it to immediately address these risks, as it insists that the changes are in line with feedback on what kinds of games, activities, and practices might result in gambling addiction.

The Minister went on to say that individuals who struggle with gambling problems and their families may suffer severe consequences if the problem is not addressed. For this reason, bingo games ought to be subject to the same consumer protection laws.

While acknowledging that more input might be required to fully understand how these changes would affect business, Minister Jaffery stated that the government was eager to implement the changes before the year ended.

Bringing Norway's responsible gambling policies together

In a similar vein, the Minister stated that the "exclusivity business model" still needs to be held completely accountable, which includes safeguarding customers from harm, which can be accomplished by implementing loss limits.

As a result of these modifications, Norway's bingo industry will now have a framework for responsible gambling that is consistent with the other gambling products offered there.

Norway has made a special effort to eradicate unethical behavior. In an effort to limit the influence and access of black markets within the nation, the government announced DNS blocking against illicit gambling websites last year.