Rikstoto faces probe over 23,716 unpaid bets
Table of contents
- Norway’s state-run horse racing operator Norsk Rikstoto is under formal investigation after two system failures allowed 23,716 unpaid bets to enter live betting pools.
- The Norwegian Gambling Authority, Lotteritilsynet, is examining whether prize pool payouts were distorted, with estimated losses of between €100,000 and €200,000.
- Both incidents followed a platform migration to Australian supplier Betmakers, and the second was reported to the regulator more than two weeks past the mandatory 72-hour deadline.
Norway’s state-controlled horse racing monopoly Norsk Rikstoto is under formal regulatory investigation after two separate system failures this year enabled thousands of customers to place bets without payment, with Lotteritilsynet now scrutinising whether live pool integrity was compromised across both events.
Two failures, one system
Between 3 and 5 February, 5,158 players submitted 23,716 unpaid bets, all of which were absorbed into live pools for major racing products including Norway’s V75 and Sweden’s V86. The bettors were not charged, yet their wagers participated under normal conditions alongside paying customers.
Rikstoto’s losses from the February incident are estimated at between €100,000 and €200,000 (NOK 1.2 million to NOK 2.4 million). That figure could rise depending on payout dynamics and how winnings were recycled through the pools.
Both failures occurred after Rikstoto migrated to a new platform from Australian technology firm Betmakers. The transition appears to have introduced persistent technical vulnerabilities.
Regulator’s key questions
Lotteritilsynet has stated that all gambling requires a paid stake and that free bets and credit betting are prohibited under Norwegian law. The authority is now examining whether prize pools in both incidents were calculated as if the unpaid stakes had been genuinely contributed, which could mean payouts were distorted for all other participants.
One of the most scrutinised aspects of the case is Rikstoto’s decision not to charge players retroactively. The operator said doing so could have caused players to exceed their responsible gambling limits.
An almost identical problem recurred on 25 March. The Gambling Authority was not notified until 15 April, well beyond the mandatory 72-hour window. A follow-up letter dated 20 April requested clarification on the delayed reporting, questioned why no loss threshold violations were recorded in the second incident, and asked whether earlier queries about the February failure had been addressed.
Lotteritilsynet has requested a full report from Rikstoto covering both incidents. Regulatory action remains possible once the investigation concludes.
Norway’s wider compliance picture
The probe adds to Rikstoto’s mounting compliance burden. A separate programming error, active between December 2022 and September 2025, allowed 836 customers to breach mandated loss limits.
The operator already faces a potential NOK 6 million fine over that case. Lotteritilsynet has also warned that daily fines may follow a late-2025 responsible gambling inspection.
Norway’s other state monopoly has faced its own difficulties. Norsk Tipping recorded its second-best annual profit in 2025 at NOK 7.693bn, yet the year was marked by a string of regulatory penalties.
Lottstift imposed a NOK 46m fine for decade-long lottery draw errors that advantaged certain player groups, followed by a NOK 10m penalty after approximately 47,000 players received incorrect Eurojackpot prize notifications. A further NOK 1m fine for anti-money laundering failings followed in early 2026.
The cumulative pressure prompted the resignation of then-chief executive Tonje Sagstuen, with Trond Bentestuen appointed as permanent replacement in December 2025.
Bror Helgestad, chairman of the Norwegian Trotting Association, has previously warned that technical failures at Rikstoto reduce distributions to the sport, adding a commercial dimension to what is primarily a regulatory dispute.
The cases at both monopolies have intensified political debate about the durability of Norway’s state-run model. For operators and suppliers in regulated markets, the Rikstoto investigation shows what kind of compliance exposure platform migrations can create, particularly where technical failures intersect with mandatory reporting obligations and responsible gambling safeguards.
Keep reading
Do you have a story worth sharing?
Send it over to our editors!
