The Norwegian Lotteries and Gaming Authority (Lotteritilsynet) has announced a potential fine of NOK 36 million (€3.1 million) against Norsk Tipping due to a critical flaw in its iOS gaming app. The error, which surfaced after a January 2024 iOS update, prevented players from using self-exclusion and time-out tools within the mobile application. As a result, affected users were unable to limit their gambling activities through the app for several months.

Norsk Tipping only became aware of the malfunction in May 2024 when a customer reported their inability to activate self-exclusion, according to wataha.no. After investigating the issue, the company swiftly implemented a fix and notified Lotteritilsynet of the corrective action in June 2024. Despite this response, the regulator determined that the delay in identifying and addressing the problem was a serious breach of Norwegian gambling laws.

Under Norwegian regulations, gambling operators must ensure that all responsible gaming measures function properly at all times. Lotteritilsynet deemed the failure a violation of Section 7, third paragraph, of the Gambling Act, in conjunction with Section 9 of the Gambling Regulations. The agency emphasized that Norsk Tipping, as the country’s gambling monopoly, bears the responsibility of promptly detecting and resolving such technical failures to protect players from potential gambling harm.

Regulator Criticizes Delayed Response

Although players had other means to self-exclude—such as through the website, customer service, or gaming terminals—the regulator found these alternatives insufficient. Authorities argue that all self-exclusion mechanisms must be fully operational across all platforms to ensure immediate access for individuals seeking to limit their gambling.

When determining the fine, Lotteritilsynet considered the duration of the issue, the extent of the company’s oversight, and the expectation that Norsk Tipping should have had stronger safeguards to detect and rectify the issue sooner. The proposed NOK 36 million penalty is equivalent to 0.35% of Norsk Tipping’s annual revenue in 2024, making it one of the largest gaming-related fines issued in Norway.

Norsk Tipping Accepts Responsibility

CEO Tonje Sagstuen acknowledged the severity of the situation, stating that the company accepts full responsibility for the lapse. “This is a serious matter, which is why we have accepted full responsibility. The monopoly model on which the Norwegian gambling market is based operates on the basis of strict control and strict regulations, which allows us to maintain the most responsible gambling system in the world,” Sagstuen said.

In response to the incident, Norsk Tipping has implemented enhanced monitoring measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future. Sagstuen reiterated that ensuring the effectiveness of responsible gaming tools remains a top priority, emphasizing that “our priority is to protect players from addiction, which is why we need to ensure that all self-control tools work flawlessly.”

This is not the first time Norsk Tipping has faced regulatory action. In 2023, the company was fined NOK 4.5 million due to a significant payment error, which resulted in an unintended payout of NOK 25 million on the KongKasino game. The Norwegian regulator labeled that incident as a severe breach of the Money Gambling Act.