Norsk Tipping, Norway’s state-backed betting and lottery monopoly, has confirmed the appointment of Thor Gjermund Eriksen as its new CEO. 

A career journalist, Eriksen most recently served as Director-General of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK), having held the position since 2013. 

Although his tenure as NRK Director-General was not due to expire until 2025, Eriksen had previously detailed that he wished to exit the position this year.

“This is a very exciting and challenging job, and I am very happy to have had this opportunity,” Eriksen commented. “I look forward to getting to know Norsk Tipping better, the challenges that await and not least everyone who works at Hamar.”

Eriksen will step down from his broadcasting role on 29 April and subsequently will assume his new role at Norsk Tipping on 12 September.

The search for a new CEO for Norway’s betting and lottery monopoly began in January of this year, when then-incumbent Åsne Havenelid made the decision to exit the role after a six-year tenure. 

Havenelid first took leadership of Norsk Tipping in 2016 following the departure of former CEO Torbjørn Almlid, and has overseen the organisation through the COVID-19 pandemic whilst working to raise funds for national civic and good causes. 

Norsk Tipping Chairman of the Board, Linda Bernander Silseth, remarked: “I am very happy to be able to present Thor Gjermund Eriksen as the new CEO of Norsk Tipping. 

“He has a solid background from the media industry, including as CEO of Amedia and broadcasting manager for NRK for the past nine years.”

Norway’s Storting legislature is due to review proposed amendments to the country’s Gambling Act this year, which would see a strengthening of the Norsk Tipping lotteries and Norsk Rikstoto paramutel betting monopolies. 

This would be achieved by further bolstering the powers of the national gambling regulator, Lottslift, granting the authority the ability to penalise unlicensed remote gambling operators – in recent months a range of firms have been penalised in Norway, with Kindred subsidiary Trannel International ordered to exit the market in February or face financial penalties.