Norsk Tipping to make player registration mandatory

Approximately 1.7 million Norwegians have already acquired Norsk Tipping's gaming card, and the vast majority of these use the card every time they play Lotto or the Norwegian football pools. Nine out of ten kroner placed in Norsk Tipping's retailer terminal-based games (all games except Flax) are already placed by registered players using smart cards.

Two games, Joker and Extra, have since their introduction required players to be registered. The player registration on submitting coupons has been customary from the start of the lottery nearly 60 years ago, initially using the old coupons with name and address, and later using the more modern gaming card.

The essential service is that players have their winnings paid out, regardless of whether they check the results or not, and - most importantly - even if the receipt has been accidentally lost or destroyed. “When we now recommend that the remaining ten percent of the players stakes should also be registered, the most likely reaction we would expect from the vast majority is ‘that's fine with me': The vast majority of players are already used to registered games, and are well aware of the advantages this offers," says Reidar Nordby, Jr., President and CEO of Norsk Tipping.

“Even though the games operated by Norsk Tipping have only a minimum effect in inducing compulsive and habitual gaming, our environment expects that a state-owned gaming company leads the way in combating compulsive and habitual gaming and gambling and excessive stakes," says Nordby.

Personally defined limits on eg stakes, maximum accepted losses and time usage can be very effective tools in avoiding individuals from developing unhealthy gaming and gambling habits. Registered gaming will provide a unique opportunity to stipulate limits, and this applies in particular in connection with the new gaming machines (IVTs) that Norsk Tipping now has the exclusive right to run in Norway, thus striving to ensure that individual players do not play for more than they can afford to lose.

It is also relevant to point out that registered gaming also has a unique crime-prevention aspect. The national economic police authorities have on many occasions referred to unregistered gaming as a potential arena for money laundering and organised crime activities.

There remain a number of unanswered questions with regard to precisely how limits will be advised, stipulated and managed. Norsk Tipping will now embark on an in depth study of all the details of how this can be accomplished in practice to ensure that the best solution is identified that does not come into conflict with current legislation and regulation on personal data protection.