Norway is one of the fastest growing online gambling markets in Europe. Nearly every online casino accepts players from the country. But the Norwegian government isn’t happy about it. Unlike many nations in the EU, Norway controls online gambling through two government agencies: Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto.
Still, to be clear, Norwegians looking for better casino services can play at foreign websites. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of choosing quality online casinos in Norway. Intrigued? Let’s dive right in.
Criteria for Choosing Online Casinos in Norway
Finding the best online casino in Norway is a process. It’s a step-by-step analysis of multiple casino sites to spot the right one for you. To expound more, you want a gambling site with loads of innovative features so that you can keep coming back.
Without further ado, these are the main features to look for in a good Norwegian online casino.
Security and Trustworthiness
Safety is the most important feature for an online casino. If it’s unsafe, you shouldn’t give it a chance. Trustworthiness is also crucial because you can’t get reliable services from a fraudulent company. So, how do you ensure an online casino is safe and trustworthy?
- A Legitimate License: nearly every online casino has a license, these days. But always take the extra step of verifying the license is valid. Most online casinos have licenses from the Malta Gaming Authority, Gibraltar, Alderney or Curacao. Check the license number and verify it on the stated regulator’s official website.
- Security Features: look for safety features like a user name and password, SSL encryption and 2-Factor Authentication. Also, read the site’s data privacy policies. Ensure the data collection process is transparent.
- Good Reputation: a good reputation shows a casino is trustworthy. So, read reviews to find out what people think about the operator. If it’s a new casino, check for an independent audit by a company like eCOGRA or iTechLabs. Alternatively, check if there are more casinos from the same brand. Many new casinos these days come from established brands.
Bonuses and Promotions
For some people, the process of finding an online casino starts and ends with bonuses. They believe if a casino has great bonuses, then it can be trusted. They are not exactly right. But there’s a point behind this line of thought.
Bonuses are like free money from casinos. And if a company is willing to give you free money with few or no conditions, then it’s worth checking out. The focus should be on conditions. The best online casinos in Norway not only feature great bonuses, but they have friendly terms and conditions. Below are some of these types of offers:
- No deposit Bonuses: you receive these bonuses upon registering a new account at a casino. You can get betting credits or free spins. Click here for an overview of free spins bonuses in Norway. You’ll find a list of different types of bonuses, their terms and how to claim them.
- First Deposit Bonuses: they’re claimed after making your first deposit at a casino. In many cases, this is the biggest bonus you can find at a casino. The bonus usually comes as a 100% to 500% match on your first deposit. If you top up €100, you get €100 extra.
- Reload bonuses: At some casinos, you get a bonus every time you make a deposit. At most websites, though, you get reload bonuses once a week or month. That’s alright, though. Reload bonuses give you extra betting credits to increase your bankroll.
- Contests: tournaments are popular ways to get bonuses and cash prizes at casinos. Usually, you compete to achieve certain milestones, say triggering the bonus round or winning the highest multiplier from a slot. Another tournament involves playing a certain amount of money daily until you’re the last person standing.
- VIP Programs: as the name suggests, a VIP program targets high rollers. Depending on the casino, this program might involve points or an invite-only system. Either way, high rollers get amazing rewards like same-day withdrawals, free games, an account manager and cash rewards.
- Cashback Bonus: this is a common reward at many new casinos. The requirement is to bet on slots, table games or both. Then after a week or month, the house reimburses 5% to 50% of your losses as cash.
Banking and Withdrawals
When it comes to online casinos, banking is inevitable. You need to make a deposit to play your favorite slots. As we mentioned, you also need money to get the best bonuses from casinos. Unfortunately, the Norwegian government has been cracking down on banking providers to stop them from working with casinos.
In light of that information, your ideal casino needs to support safe payment methods. And it should have great limits, low fees and quick payment speeds. Below is a list of some of the most popular banking methods are Norway’s online casinos.
- Visa and MasterCard
- PayPal
- Skrill
- Neteller
- Trustly
- ecoPayz
- Bank transfer
- Zimpler and Boku
Although you can use any of the payment methods mentioned above, choose the one that provides the most convenience. For example, e-wallets are fast and have low fees. But their limits are low. By comparison, a bank transfer is slower but offers better limits.
That said, also look into banking policies set by casinos. Check the minimum and maximum you can deposit or withdraw, the fees involved and the time it takes to withdraw your money. For clarity, the best casinos don’t charge deposit fees. They accept deposits from €10 to €10,000. For withdrawals, fees are small and you can cash out from €20 to €20,000 per month.
Games and Software Providers
One of the reasons Norwegian casino players avoid Norsk Tipping is that it has a small number of games. By contrast, offshore casinos feature hundreds of slots and table games from leading software providers. That said, don’t choose just about any foreign casino. Select an operator with the best games, more so games you like.
- Slots: online casinos in Norway feature a wide range of slots, from video and classic slots to Megaways and progressive jackpots. The games come from developers like NetEnt, Microgaming, Play ‘n’ Go, BTG, Playtech and Betsoft.
- RNG Table Games: online casinos provide poker, blackjack, roulette and baccarat through RNG software. Find a casino that offers a wide variety of table games, especially games with a low house edge.
- Live casino Games: at the best casinos, you can play table games with human players in real time. Evolution is the biggest supplied of live casino games: poker, blackjack, roulette, baccarat and craps, to name a few.
- Other games: check for video poker, bingo and scratchers. They come in limited variety at most casinos, though.
- Sportsbooks: some casinos also feature sportsbooks. If you like to bet on sports, find a casino that provides betting services.
Web Design
A casino’s web design can help improve or worsen your gaming experience. If it’s beautiful and well-organized, you have a delight playing on the website. If it’s a pain to use, you could even lose money while games freeze or take forever to load.
Fortunately, checking a website’s user interface is a quick process. All you need is to visit a website you’re interested in and navigate through different categories. How fast do web pages load? Is it easy or hard to find games?
Also, look for unique web features like a search engine to find any game or a category to save your favorite games. Another vital web feature is multi-language support so that you can read content through the Norwegian language at your pleasure.
Mobile Compatibility
If you’re like many casino players, you own an iPhone or android smartphone. You use it to make calls, chat and browse the Internet regularly. But guess what? You can also use your mobile device to play slots and card games.
You can play casino games through a mobile website or a native app. The choice is yours. The experience is equally good whether you use a mobile app or website. Both platforms offer the same number of games, bonuses and banking options.
However, take time to check various apps and mobile websites. There’s always difference on user interface, loading speed and game variety from one casino app to another.
Customer Service
Customer service is an important mark of a good online casino in Norway. It gives you an idea of how well-managed a casino is and whether you can rely on it or not. That said, online casinos provide customer service through several ways:
- A Knowledgebase: this is a webpage dedicated to answer Frequently asked Questions. Use this section to learn how to deposit, withdraw or answers regarding delays.
- Live Chatbot: this is the best way to communicate with online casinos. You get immediate feedback, usually from a human support agent. The best operators provide customer service 24/7.
- Emails: many casinos have a ticket-based email support system. You send an email and you’re added to a queue. After a few hours, you get a reply with answers to your troubling concerns.
Conclusion
Online gambling is legal in Norway but limited to a monopoly casino. To get better casino services, the best option is to use offshore casinos located in the UK or Malta. Some of these operators are loaded with high-paying games, sweet bonuses and quick payouts. Use our criteria above to find a casino that best suits your needs.
Tags: Norsk Tipping | Norway
