Norwegian Red Cross raises concerns over bottle lottery future amid gambling regulation changes

Since 2008, Norwegians have been able to gamble for millions by recycling bottles and cans. Last year alone, this initiative generated 126 million NOK for the Norwegian Red Cross, with expectations for this year to reach nearly 150 million NOK.

Currently, only the Norwegian Red Cross operates the bottle lottery. In 2025, national lottery licenses will be renewed through a physical lottery draw at the Ministry of Culture. The new regulations for gambling established in 2023 highlight this development. The Red Cross fears that they could lose vital income if the government insists on using a draw to allocate these licenses.

Øistein Mjærum, the communications director for the Red Cross, expressed concern over the potential impact of such a decision, as the funds play a crucial role in supporting various activities nationwide. He emphasized that the bottle lottery stands out as it does not encourage financial gambling but instead involves recycling.

The lottery is currently managed by Norsk Pantelotteri AS, where the Olav Thon Group handles day-to-day operations. Last year, after distributing 126 million NOK to the Red Cross, the operation reported a profit of 9.3 million NOK. Revenue is divided evenly among the Red Cross, prizes, and operational costs.

So far, the initiative has raised 850 million NOK over 16 years. Gaute Langdal, managing director of Norsk Pantelotteri AS, argued that it would be unreasonable for the Red Cross to rely on luck in a lottery draw to continue the bottle lottery after 2025.

Despite the challenges of exceeding this year’s sales cap of 360 million NOK, which is projected to reach 410 million from 820 million tickets purchased, the government is considering increasing the sales limit to ensure the lottery can continue its charitable contributions.