Himanshu Gulati of the Progress Party announced at the Spillkonferansen conference this week that the party will prioritize replacing Norway’s gambling monopoly with a licensed model. The legislative transition is scheduled for implementation following the next government change.
Regulatory Approach
The party identifies licensing as its foremost cultural policy objective upon returning to power. Gulati emphasized that the current monopoly operates independently within Europe, noting that markets such as Finland and Albania have already shifted to licensed frameworks. He called for policy discussions grounded in verified data rather than assumptions about social impact and revenue allocation. The proposed system aims to retain financial resources within the country to support domestic sports and cultural programs.The Progress Party initially proposed ending the monopoly in 2021. During the September 2025 general election, the party secured 48 seats, representing 24 percent of the parliamentary vote, while the Labour Party retained 53 seats with 28.2 percent. Previous deregulation efforts under the party include the legalization of cash poker approximately ten years ago, the removal of domestic competition restrictions for professional athletes, and the elimination of the national Segway ban.
MP Silje Hjemdal previously stated that improved regulation would prevent substantial annual revenue from leaving the country.