Norway’s second largest political party, the Progress Party has said that should it be voted into power in next year’s elections it would bring an end to the state monopoly on gambling.

“Our priority is to get private gaming operations including casinos legalized,” said the party's deputy leader, Per Sandberg. "This is a policy that we have supported for many years.”

The morality of gambling has always been a much-discussed issue in Norway, especially among political parties, and this policy was slammed by Sandberg. “The morality of casinos and gambling is always been used by the red green parties," he said. “The fact is we already have the possibility to gamble online, and the state is a very progressive operator, with Norsk Tipping launching new games all the time.”

Sandberg said that his party did not believe that the state should be involved in operating casinos.