Norwegian gambling monopoly operator Norsk Tipping has received approved from the country’s Minsitry of Culture to launch a new TV lottery game that promises to award prizes to entire communities. The Nabolaget (Neighbourhood) geolocation game will feature a live TV draw on Friday nights beginning in the new year, with the winning ticket holder awarded a top prize of NOK1m (approx. €118,000).
Other players living in the same neighbourhood as the jackpot winner will be awarded smaller sums, with the game designed to bring communities together and make the draw a national event.
Proceeds from the game are to be used to fund health-related and charitable causes.
The game is due to launch next year, with Norsk Tipping chief executive Torbjørn Almlid acknowledging that the process of getting the game approved had been long. He added, however, that he strongly believes that “customers will think it was worth the wait.”
Almlid explained that it is essential for the lottery to continue to offer the most attractive products and constantly renew its offering if it is to succeed in its goal of channelling most of Norway’s gambling spend through Norsk Tipping.
“Nabolaget fills a niche in the market where Norwegian Tipping hitherto did not have offers,” he said. “[This] emphasizes the company’s responsible approach to the gambling market.”
Nabolaget was created by Swedish lottery software supplier Genera Networks.
“This will be the way forward in the largest segment of the gaming industry that has been standing still for so long,” Genera chief executive Maria Sandell said of the new launch, predicting that Nabolaget would see turnover grow to €180m by the third year of the game’s operation.
Genera Networks originally won the contract to supply Nabolaget to Norsk Tipping in a public bid in 2011.
The launch was delayed, however, after the Postcode Lottery operator Novamedia launched a legal challenge against Genera and Norsk Tipping, claiming that Nabolaget infringed on the company’s rights by plagiarising its location based game.
The challenge was decided in January 2013 when a Norwegian Court ruled against Novamedia. The court stated in its ruling that “when comparing the different elements in the Postcode Lottery and Nabolaget the two concepts are seen as so different that it cannot at all be considered an imitation of an original product.”
source : www.gamingintelligence.com
