- Status
- Judgment entered (judgment)
- As of
- 19 Nov 2021 · read from the court record
- Court
- Borgarting lagmannsrett; appeal refused by Høyesteretts ankeutvalg · Appellate court
- Docket
- Oslo tingrett 16-068609TVI-OTIR/07; HR-2021-2262-U
- Filed
- 2016
- Type
- Operator v. regulator, licensing and administrative court cases
- Money
- No settlement fund or award on record
- Payout
- No payout exists as of 14 Nov 2026
Status words follow the court record: a complaint states one side's allegations, only the court's orders decide anything. Filing a settlement claim is always free.
What this case is about
The first court challenge to the monopoly since 2008. Oslo tingrett (25 October 2019) relied on the 2007 and 2008 precedents; Borgarting lagmannsrett held on 1 July 2021 that the exclusive-rights model is suitable to channel players to a more responsible offer and is applied systematically and consistently, and the Supreme Court appeals committee refused leave on 19 November 2021. The Trannel courts later treated the judgment as settling the EEA question.
What this case is about
Norsk Lotteri AS v. the Norwegian State (Staten) is a challenge to Norway's exclusive-rights gambling model, tracked under docket Oslo tingrett 16-068609TVI-OTIR/07 and, for the appeal refusal, HR-2021-2262-U. The company, a private Norwegian lottery business, sued in 2016 under the EEA Agreement.
It is the first court challenge to the monopoly since 2008, and it sits among the licensing and administrative court cases in which an operator tests a state's gambling regime.
Norsk Lotteri relied on article 31 of the EEA Agreement (freedom of establishment). It also argued that the exclusive-rights model is no longer suitable or consistent given changes in the market and in technology.
Who is covered
The case concerns Norsk Lotteri AS and the State. Its practical reach is wider: later Norwegian courts treated it as the answer to whether a private operator can use the EEA rules to open the market.
The history of the case is recounted in the Borgarting judgment of 1 June 2023 in the Trannel case, which is the court source for the dates below. Other Norwegian disputes are collected under gambling lawsuits in Norway.
Is there a payout?
No payout exists in this case. It is a challenge to the structure of the monopoly, not a damages claim or a class action, and no fund or settlement is recorded.
The company lost, so no money moves from the State to any player or operator.
What the court decided
Oslo tingrett ruled on 25 October 2019, relying on the 2007 and 2008 precedents. Borgarting lagmannsrett decided on 1 July 2021 that the exclusive-rights model is suitable to channel players to a more responsible offer and is applied systematically and consistently.
The Supreme Court appeals committee (Høyesteretts ankeutvalg) refused leave to appeal on 19 November 2021. As of 14 November 2026 the case stands at that decision, and its status is judgment.
The two lower courts therefore reached the same result: the exclusive-rights model survived the challenge as the company framed it.
Why it matters
The courts in the Trannel case later treated this judgment as settling the EEA question. A challenge to the monopoly on suitability and consistency grounds therefore starts from a ruling that went against the operator at every stage reached.
The earlier Supreme Court line, from 2007, is listed below.
Questions people ask
Did Norsk Lotteri win?
No. Borgarting lagmannsrett held on 1 July 2021 that the model is suitable and consistent, and the Supreme Court appeals committee refused leave to appeal on 19 November 2021.
What law did the company rely on?
The company relied on article 31 of the EEA Agreement, which covers freedom of establishment. It also questioned whether the exclusive-rights model remains suitable given market and technology changes.
Related cases
- Norsk Lotteridrift ASA m.fl. mot Staten: the Supreme Court gaming-machine decision of 26 June 2007 (HR-2007-01144-A), decided.
- Trannel International Limited mot Staten: the later stop-order case, with the Borgarting decision of 1 June 2023, decided.
Who is involved
Plaintiffs: Norsk Lotteri AS (Norwegian private lottery company)
| Defendants | Staten |
|---|---|
| Claims |
|
Is there a payout?
No payout exists in this case as of 14 Nov 2026.
What happens next
No future date is on the record we hold. The case is closed on the record we hold; later appeals or enforcement steps would be added here.
Timeline
2 dated steps on record, oldest first. Future dates come from court notices and can move.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2016 | Filed |
| 19 Nov 2021 | Judgment entered |
Documents and sources
1 primary source (court file, administrator notice, regulator) and 1 secondary. Press is supporting evidence only.
- Court document: lottstift.no
| What it supports | Source | Type | Retrieved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Borgarting 2023 judgment recounting Norsk Lotteri: Borgarting 1 July 2021, HR-2021-2262-U 19 Nov 2021, Oslo tingrett case number | lottstift.no | primary | 14 Nov 2026 |
| Oslo tingrett 25 Oct 2019 (press via SERP; UiO webinar) | jus.uio.no | secondary | 14 Nov 2026 |
Related cases
2 cases in the record share parties, claims or a settlement with this one.
| Case | Court | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Norwegian Supreme Court upholds Norsk Tipping slot-machine monopoly | Høyesterett | Judgment entered |
| Kindred v Norway: stop order and NOK 1.2M daily fine upheld | Borgarting lagmannsrett | Judgment entered |
Last checked against the sources on 14 Nov 2026. Found an error? Tell us and we correct the record with a dated note.