Norway's Ministry of Culture and Churches has introduced a more restrictive national policy on video gambling machines in an attempt to reduce and prevent problem gambling.
Norsk Tipping, the state's exclusive lottery operator, will introduce new machines designed to achieve the policy's goals in September. A law passed in July 2007 bans anyone else from owning or operating video gambling machines.
The new machines will only accept one method of payment-- prepaid cards sold by Norsk Tipping. Players will not be able to bet more than 50 kroner ($10) per game, or to lose more than 400 kroner ($80) in one day and 2,200 kroner ($440) in one month. The machines will also force a player to cool off for ten minutes after every hour of continuous play.
"There will be limits on how much an individual can lose, they will be closed at night and there will be a cooling off period after one hour of continuous play," said Culture Minister Trond Giske.