Norway’s Conservative Party Joins Calls for End to Gambling Monopoly
Norway’s Conservative party (Høyre) has recently shifted its stance on online gambling and is advocating for the abolishment of the country’s longstanding gambling monopoly. This new position was included in the party’s latest election manifesto leading up to Norway’s upcoming general election in September 2025. The Conservative party holds the second-largest number of seats in parliament, with 36 out of 169 seats, and secured 20.6 percent of the vote in the 2021 general election.
This change in policy comes in the wake of Finland’s decision to liberalize its online gambling industry by 2026, setting a precedent for other Nordic countries. Carl Fredrik Stenstrøm, the general-secretary for Norway’s gambling trade body, Norsk Bransjeforening for Onlinespill (NBO), expressed optimism about the potential establishment of a licensed gambling market in Norway.
U.K. Gambling Participation Remains Steady, Majority Focus on Winning Big
The U.K. Gambling Commission recently released its latest Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), which examined gambling participation across the U.K. from January 15 to April 28. The survey revealed that overall gambling participation during this period remained consistent with the previous year, standing at 48 percent across the entire sample. However, when excluding lottery participation, this percentage dropped to 27 percent.
Looking specifically at online gambling, 16 percent of participants had engaged in online betting through desktop or mobile applications in the past four weeks, excluding lottery activities. Men showed a higher preference for online gambling, with 20 percent participating compared to only 13 percent of women. Among men aged 35 to 44, the online gambling rate was the highest at 29 percent.
Entain Sees Growth in U.K. and Ireland Markets
Entain, a prominent player in the gaming industry, reported that both its gaming and sports betting operations in the U.K. and Ireland have shown signs of accelerated recovery in the second half of the year. Following a decline in net gaming revenue (NGR) in the first half of the year due to regulatory changes, the UK&I business has witnessed stronger volumes and margins in sports betting, leading to increased betting NGR.
The company’s online NGR growth in the second half of the year surpassed expectations, indicating a positive outlook for the region. The company’s efforts to implement various product and operational changes have contributed to this turnaround.
Superbet Founder Returns as Co-CEO
Sacha Dragic, the founder of Superbet in 2008, has made a comeback to the company as Co-CEO alongside current CEO Jimmy Maymann. Dragic, who previously served as CEO for a decade before transitioning to a board member role in 2019, aims to steer the business through its next phase of growth. Maymann took over as CEO earlier this year, succeeding Johnny Hartnett, who moved to a non-executive board position. A recent town hall meeting announced key executive team appointments, including Sameen Jalal’s promotion to chief technology officer.
Finland Prepares for Licensed Gambling Market
Despite facing challenges and a decline in profit margins, Finland’s state-owned gambling monopoly, Veikkaus, is gearing up for the launch of a licensed gambling market in 2027. Stakeholders anticipate that Veikkaus’ established customer base of 2.5 million will give it a competitive edge in the new market. Industry experts believe that Veikkaus could secure a substantial market share in the licensed market, potentially between 20-25%, leveraging its monopoly legacy to maintain a competitive advantage.
