Norsk Rikstoto under investigation after unpaid bets were taken
Norwegian betting operator Norsk Rikstoto is under formal investigation after thousands of horse racing bets were reportedly placed without payment during two separate technical failures earlier this year.
According to Norwegian industry publication Trav- og Galopp-Nytt, more than 5,000 unpaid wagers were accepted by the government-owned bookmaker between February 3–5 before a similar incident occurred again on March 25.
MORE: Gambling in Norway
The bets were allegedly allowed into live wagering pools covering major Scandinavian racing products including the V75 and V86, which are when punters attempt to pick the winners of seven or eight trotting races respectively, despite Norwegian gambling laws prohibiting unpaid or credit betting.
The Norwegian Gambling Authority is now examining whether prize pools and payouts were distorted after the unpaid wagers were treated as legitimate entries alongside paying customers.
The incidents reportedly followed the rollout of a new betting platform supplied by Australian technology company BetMakers Technology Group, with the regulator also questioning why the second malfunction was not reported within the required 72-hour timeframe.
Norsk Rikstoto has not disclosed the full financial impact, though estimates suggest losses could exceed €200,000 once winnings and downstream betting activity are factored in.
The investigation adds further scrutiny to the gambling operator, which was previously fined over responsible gambling compliance failures.
