Norway makes all forms of live poker illegal in the country, which forces players to play at online poker sites friendly to Norwegian players for their gaming fix. In addition, unregulated laws have made it illegal for citizens to play at any foreign online poker site in 2008. Luckily, players are still able to use foreign or “offshore” poker websites that allow Norwegian poker players because the government has no jurisdiction in the countries where the poker sites are located.
Because it is illegal to play online poker on a foreign web site, you will want to make sure the poker site you choose accepts Norwegian poker players. Almost every online poker site has a list of excluded countries. You will want to consult this list to see if Norway is mentioned before beginning to play – typically all Norwegians can play at ANY online poker site of their choice.
Once it is determined that a site accepts Norwegian poker players, you will want to investigate whether the software is available in Norwegian, Norway’s national language. You will also want to make sure that transactions are allowed in krone, which is Norway’s national currency. If the krone is not accepted, you will want to check out exchange rates for the Norway poker site you choose.
Norwegian poker players prefer a wide selection of game variations. Some of the most popular Norway poker games include:
- Omaha hi
- Omaha hi/lo
- Hold’em
- Razz
- Stud hi
- Stud hi/lo
Norwegian online poker players enjoy participating in tournaments because of the high pots and luxurious prizes available during play. One of the most popular tournaments offered is the freeroll tournament. These allow Norwegian poker players to win prizes or real money without actually depositing any of their own cash.
Depositing At Poker Sites For Norwegian Players
Norway currently bans all online poker or gambling transactions. However, players are still able to deposit and withdraw money at Norway poker sites because the ban only restricts the funds taken from Norwegian banks and credit unions. Popular Norway poker deposit methods include:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Neteller
- Click2Pay
- Entropay
- Ukash
- Paysafecard
Norway poker withdrawal methods include:
- Click2Pay
- Neteller
- Entropay
Third party services such as Neteller are useful for Norwegian poker players because they do not allow banks to trace the places to which players are depositing or withdrawing. The money goes right to the third party web site and can’t be traced to an online poker site.
Norwegian online poker sites usually offer generous bonuses to attract new players. Bonuses are usually listed in US dollars, Euro or English Pounds, so Norwegian poker players will want to convert the currency to Krone before beginning or play at Norwegian Krone online poker sites.
Is it Legal to Play Online Poker From Norway?
In Norway, it is illegal to play live poker and use foreign online poker sites. The only legal forms of online gambling are web sites run by the Norwegian government. Further hampering players, Norway’s Payment Act makes any online gambling transaction illegal if it is conducted without a Norwegian license. While these roadblocks exist, Norwegian poker players still find opportunities to play online poker games.