Media executive Thor Gjermund Eriksen is set to take over from Asne Havnelid as CEO of Norsk Tipping – one of Norway’s two gambling monopolies – in September.
Eriksen previously worked as head of broadcasting at national broadcaster NRK where he led the conversion to digitized technology. Both NRK and Norsk Tipping are managed by the Ministry of Culture and have collaborated with the Lotto draw, Sports Gala and NM week.
“I am very happy to be able to present Thor Gjermund Eriksen as the new CEO of Norsk Tipping, Norsk Tipping chair Linda Bernander Silseth said. “He has a solid background from the media industry, including as CEO of Amedia and broadcasting manager for NRK for the past nine years.”
“I am confident that Eriksen is the right person to strengthen Norsk Tipping’s role as a responsible and attractive gambling provider. This in turn will ensure a stable and predictable profit for good causes.”
During the pandemic, Norsk Tipping introduced new measures to secure vulnerable players and increase safer gambling restrictions, including reducing the maximum monthly loss limit on its high-risk online games to NOK5,000 (£417/€485/$575). Eriksen said the social mission of the monopoly was particularly important to him.
“This is a very exciting and challenging job, and I am very happy to have had this opportunity. Norsk Tipping’s social mission is important for the whole of Norway, for the players and for the sports, culture and humanitarian sector, which are completely dependent on the means of gambling,” Eriksen said.
“I look forward to getting to know Norsk Tipping better, the challenges that await and not least everyone who works at [the Norsk Tipping office in] Hamar.”
Eriksen will be taking up the position on 12 September, taking over from Asne Havnelid, who has held the position for the past 6 years.
In June 2020, Norway’s Ministry of Culture launched a consultation on a consolidation of the country’s gambling laws into a single Gambling Act, which aimed to maintain Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto’s monopolies in the market while improving customer protections.
Last year, the government submitted the new Gambling Act, which included a promise to impose greater sanctions on unlicensed operators and affiliates who offered unlicensed gaming to customers in the jurisdiction.
