dialogue - Norsk Tipping
Transcription
dialogue - Norsk Tipping
SOCIAL REPORT 2005 ethics: social responsibility: customers: coworkers: partners: gaming responsibility: security: the environment: dialogue Contents [05:] 04: Summary Reidar Nordby Jr. Key figures 2005 Goals 2006 06: 09: Our social responsibility Fun, responsibility and security Players and customers Gaming responsibility Gaming security 19: Growth in fellowship 25: Equal worth 29: The environment and society Retailers Suppliers Our coworkers The environment Society 35: Healthy management Auditing Corporate governance We promise to conduct our business in a fashion that complies with or exceeds the ethical, commercial, legal, social and environmental expectations society has of us. Social responsibility Highlights [05:] The company’s management adopted a new “Strategy and plan for social responsibility” in 2005. Ethics In 2005, we revised and adopted ethical guidelines for the company that consist of 10 basic principles. 05:] Dialogue In 2005, Norsk Tipping had a more active dialogue with all interested parties. This involved meetings, personal conversations and surveys, which are conducted regularly regarding the public, winners, retailers, coworkers and others. Games renewal We have actively worked to renew our games and increase their availability. Innovations during the year have therefore included the introduction of a new player card, new game concepts with more prizes, and the testing of new channels, including distribution via cell phones. [05:] SUMMARY Social responsibility is the foundation for our operations Norsk Tipping has an exceptional position in the Norwegian gaming market. We administer exclusive rights, we are tasked with providing responsible games, and the profits from our operations shall in their entirety benefit Norwegian sports and culture. Norsk Tipping’s operations are thus in every way inextricably linked to society-at-large. Yes, in many ways social responsibility forms the nucleus of our contract with the Norwegian public and the foundation for our operations. We take this responsibility seriously. The fact that this year we are for the first time publishing a social report as a separate publication, and not just as a chapter in the annual report, is a tangible expression of this. Other milestones in our work in this area were: > In 2005, we drew up a new “Strategy and plan for social responsibility”, which is now being implemented. > In 2005, we revised and adopted “Ethical principles for Norsk Tipping”, which all coworkers have received an introduction into and which also give us obligations in relation to customers, retailers and suppliers, among others. > In 2005, we continued our work on making sure that our purchasing routines now fully comply with the Public Procurement Act. > We have increased our efforts to minimize the unfortunate aspects of money games and are working closely with both researchers and family members. > We have actively used the insights provided by reputation and satisfaction surveys, and maintain an open, active dialogue with all interested parties. For an enterprise such as Norsk Tipping, social responsibility runs wide and deep. It is about the ethical core values that guide us. And about our relationships with all the interest groups with whom we interact: customers and players, coworkers, retailers, suppliers, partners, the media, and the authorities. Norsk Tipping enjoys a high level of trust with all of them. It is through our social responsibility that we prove ourselves worthy of this trust. Reidar Nordby Jr. President and CEO Norsk Tipping Problem gaming Highlights [05:] We have increased our efforts to minimize the unfortunate aspects of money games. We conducted a survey of gaming habits in cooperation with the market research company, MMI, we contribute to the government’s “Action Plan to Prevent Problem Gambling”, and we work closely with research circles and interested parties. The environment In 2005, we continued our work on ensuring coupons and programs were approved as environment friendly with a green swan label and in the future will have a special focus on energy. PROFITS FOR 2005 Distributed for socially beneficial purposes NOK 1 200 mill. NOK Sports 1 200 mill. Culture NOK 12 mill. Measures related to problem gaming NOK 195 mill. The Norwegian Foundation for Health and Rehabilitation [ How we created value ] [ How we distributed it ] Games revenue Value distribution Customers wagered the following total amount on Norsk Tipping’s games (MNOK): The created value was distributed to national and local government, employees, the company and retailers, while by the far largest portion went to beneficiary organizations. 9 203.2 Prizes More than half the games revenue went to winners as prizes: - 4 828.7 Operating costs To enable us to offer customers exciting games and develop new ones we spent the following on goods and services, development costs and other costs: 935.2 Other income Excluding pure games revenue, our other income and financial income came to a total of: 200.4 Value created We therefore created a total value of: 3 639.7 Value distributed to national and local government Total tax deductions (employees), employer’s payroll tax, and employer’s contributions to pension funds that went to national and local government amounted to: 107.5 Value distributed to employees Total employees’ pay (excluding tax deductions) amounted to: 110.6 Value distributed to retailers Our almost 4 000 retailers received commissions from games, player cards and prize payments amounting to: 689.8 Value retained by the company To enable the continued development of the company and our products, the following amount was allocated to the investment fund: 125.1 Value distribution to beneficiary organizations By far the largest portion of the created value therefore went to the beneficiary organizations and amounted to: 2 606.7 Winners In 2005, we continued our active follow-up of winners, including offering financial advice from an external company. In the summer of 2005, we also conducted a survey of 70 previous winners. [05:] OUR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Norsk Tipping and social responsibility Society is constantly changing. One consequence of this is that society’s expectations concerning companies’ and organizations’ behavior and their impact on society also change. Traditionally, companies and organizations have been allowed to operate relatively undisturbed by outsiders, as long as the laws and regulations are complied with. Today most of them are experiencing that society expect and require them to greatly increase their social responsibility. Much of Norsk Tipping’s future success depends on our managing to fulfill the expectations people have of us. We have therefore chosen this as the starting point in our ethical guidelines: “Norsk Tipping shall conduct its business in a fashion that complies with or exceeds the ethical, commercial, legal, social and environmental expectations society has of us.” Even though Norsk Tipping was established to fulfill important social needs such as raising money for good causes in sports and culture, as well as ensuring government control over money games, we know that long-term growth and freedom can only be achieved through actively responding to society’s requirements concerning insight and expectations with regard to social and ethical responsibility. Norsk Tipping has noted that we are increasingly having to respond to the expectations associated with various aspects of gaming. Not least, we are being held more responsible for the development of the potentially negative aspects of gaming, such as problem gaming. Our external relations have shown us that there are fairly strong expectations with respect to Norsk Tipping’s responsibility and involvement in this area. There is, of course, also a clear correlation between our ability to deal with such expectations and future constraints. However, the expectations of Norsk Tipping exceed this. There are requirements stipulating that we must run our operations in an environmentally friendly manner; there are requirements concerning our marketing, that we exercise responsibility when introducing new technology, and that we be a good employer. In short, we are expected to exercise responsibility and deliver results for all the bottom lines – not just the financial one. Retailers Highlights [05:] Throughout 2005 we have further developed our service provision for retailers so that being a retailer remains attractive. At the same time we have further improved the work on training and control, so that retailers are in step with us as regards ethics and security. Purchasing In 2005, we have actively worked to change and adapt our purchasing routines to ensure compliance with the Public Procurement Act. 10:] NORSK TIPPING’S ETHICAL RULES CONSIST OF TEN BASIC PRINCIPLES: Our approach to social responsibility Norsk Tipping’s approach to social responsibility shall fundamentally speaking build on three elements: We particularly focus on groups that are important when it comes to being able to achieve our social and business related goals: 1: We shall conduct our business in a fashion that complies with or exceeds the ethical, commercial, legal, social and environmental expectations society has of us. > Solid core values and a sound ethical platform > A dialogue with our environment as a basis for continual improvement > Honest, relevant reporting and communications Solid core values and ethical platform The nucleus of this is clear, well thought-out ethical guidelines that provide a clear guide to what the company stands for, and the ideals for which the company fights. Norsk Tipping’s four core values are: > Interaction – by this we mean mutual benefit, focusing on interdisciplinary processes, knowledge sharing and team building. > Commitment – by this we mean enthusiasm, feeling ownership, being good role models, experiencing job satisfaction, and caring for and about each other. > Courage – by this we mean being open to criticism and new ideas, daring to make choices and decisions, challenging and delegating responsibility and authority, and a willingness to take risks. > Performance – by this we mean producing results and exploiting potential with a focus on teams and individuals, requirements and consequences. The ethical rules consist of ten basic principles (see fact box). During 2005, these ethical core principles were revised, adopted and became a key element of the company’s internal training and organizational development. Dialogue as a basis for improvement Satisfying the society’s expectations requires a close dialogue with the groups who have legitimate interests with regard to how the company is run. > Customers and players > Coworkers > Retailers > Suppliers > Beneficiaries > Society – especially organizations, groups and expert circles that represent people affected by the gaming issues. Honest reporting and communications Even though over time social responsibility results in increased trust and improves our reputation, it is not a marketing discipline. This means that the reporting done in relation to social responsibility must be relevant to the genuine expectations that exist in society, and true to the company’s results. Over time, as social responsibility has evolved to become a concept that most companies have to relate to, certain international standards have evolved concerning what the concept should imply, how the processes should be run, and in relation to which criteria reporting should follow. This is partly due to a desire to make it possible to compare different companies and partly because there has been a need to create a framework that can help the companies with the process of establishing strategies and processes for social responsibility. Norsk Tipping bases its strategy on current international best practice. In our social and environmental reporting, we have chosen to follow the principles stipulated in the international “AA1000 Series”. This is an international certification standard that covers the needs for routines, consultation and reporting The standards involve the company basing its operations on the principles of sustainable development and relating to ethical standards stipulated in Internal dialogue Over several years we have developed our organization so that we can assume responsibility for gaming machines, but because of the delay we have had to institute downsizing here. This has happened in close consultation with the employees’ trade unions. Reputation In our dialogue with our milieu we are attempting to increase our knowledge about Norsk Tipping’s role and the causes the gaming profits help support. 2: We shall conduct our operations on the basis of responsibility, integrity and openness. 3: We shall listen to our milieu and seek to balance different groups’ interests in a way that ensures a long-term perspective and legitimacy. 4: We shall satisfy the customers’ need for entertainment and excitement within a secure and socially responsible framework. 5: We shall actively contribute to preventing potential problems arising from our games. 6: We shall offer our employees a good, safe working environment in which taking account of each individual coworker is given his priority. 7: Our relationships with suppliers and partners shall be based on honesty, integrity and predictability with respect to mutual requirements and expectations. 8: We shall exercise responsibility and caution in relation to the environment. 9: We shall develop our operations within socially responsible constraints with a view to ensuring beneficiaries stable, long-term funding. 10: We shall continuously verify and quality assure that the ethical principles are complied with in all our operations. The ethical principles shall be revised and developed regularly in relation to the new requirements society demands of us. [05:] OUR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OUR PARTNERS Social responsibility is about how we talk to groups that have legitimate interests regarding our operations. These are the most important groups among Norsk Tipping’s partners: OUR MILIEU >The authorities >Society >The environment >Beneficiaries >Interest groups OUR PARTNERS AND US >Coworkers >Retailers >Suppliers OUR CUSTOMERS >Players >Winners >At risk players international agreements, treaties and recommendations, such as the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, confederation of Norwegian Enterprise, NHO’s Norwegian national recommendations for corporate governance, etc. The social responsibility principles shall apply to all of the company’s operations and be implemented in the company’s normal routines and processes. The social responsibility processes shall be inclusive, transparent and based on an active dialogue with our milieu, and the reporting shall be complete, true and verified by a third party. Given this, we have also chosen to let the international risk management company, Det Norske Veritas, audit the annual social report (see page 36) starting in 2005. The auditing of the social report will be implemented as part of Norsk Tipping’s work on social responsibility. Challenges in 2005 > In 2005, Norsk Tipping has maintained a more active dialogue with interested parties and systemized this dialogue so that it can more precisely identify social and ethical issues and expectations. > Social responsibility has been the platform in the company’s work on a new strategic plan for 2006-2008 and has been a key element in the annual planning process. > Norsk Tipping’s management group adopted a plan for social responsibility for the company based on the ”AA1000 Series” in June 2005. > Measurement parameters linked to social [8 NORSK TIPPING SOCIAL REPORT 2005 ] responsibility have been developed further. > One of the goals in 2005 was to incorporate social responsibility into the managers’ and relevant coworkers’ evaluations of coworkers. This has not been done systematically, but the company has introduced management by objectives with accountability for results for each manager. This is followed up on a quarterly basis with business reviews. Intellectual capital The term ‘intellectual capital’ covers the resources that do not appear in traditional accounting, but which are, nevertheless, important capital in a company. This capital is measured according to four parameters: business concept, organizationowned structural capital, human capital, and relational structural capital. Norsk Tipping conducted measurements in 2000, 2002 and 2004. The next measurements will be conducted in 2006 and be reported in next year’s social report. Goals and plans for 2006 It is important that we further develop our processes for dialogue and consultation with stakeholders and focus on reporting on these dialogues, so it becomes easier for stakeholders to verify what we say and in order to ensure that issues brought up in this dialogue are taken account of in our evaluations and decision making processes. [fun] responsibility and security fun and good gaming experiences within a healthy, responsible We promise our players and customers we will provide and secure framework. >> [05:] PLAYERS AND CUSTOMERS Positive gaming experiences through competitive games Norsk Tipping’s ambition is to be among the best in Norway at providing positive customer experiences. Gaming is, and should be, some added spice in one’s everyday life. We want customers with a healthy attitude to money games, so we have a clear internal focus on creating a good balance. Challenges in 2005 The most important market related challenges in 2005 were associated with: JAN PEDER STRØMSLID Vice President Sales & Marketing [email protected] THORBJØRN UNNEBERG Senior Vice President Solospill [email protected] > increased competition and revision of the games > fulfilling our social responsibility Due to the increased competition from other actors we have in the last two years had 150.000 fewer customers. Revising the games has therefore been an important job, as has increasing the availability of our games through, among other things, the introduction of a new player card and the development of new channels. At the same time it is important that our market activities are in accordance with our social policy tasks. We have tried to ensure this through, among other things, the implementation of the government’s new guidelines for marketing and stricter monitoring of the 18-year age limit for Oddsen. Activities GAMES RENEWAL In addition to competition having increased, it also appears that money games have a limited life cycle and need regular revision in order to remain dynamic. Most of Norsk Tipping’s games have been on the market for many years and are now undergoing a phase in which the revision of the concepts is [ 10 NORSK TIPPING SOCIAL REPORT 2005 ] important in order to maintain their attractiveness in the market. The most common method of maintaining a game’s attraction over time is to increase the first prize. This is also something that Norsk Tipping will have to consider, but in 2005 we chose to bet on new concepts instead, in which players have extra opportunities to win. Taking this principle as our starting point we carried out the following activities in 2005: > Lotto: We had two Lotto drawings in 2005 in which we ran the ‘One number is enough’ supplementary game. This involves the extra drawing of one number where all the players who have this number are entered into a drawing in which five winners receive NOK 1 million. > Extra: “Lukelønn” has been carried out once with Extra. This involved everyone who played on this Tuesday having a chance to win between NOK 100.000 and NOK 1 million as an additional prize. > Oddsen: Starting on 18 November we expanded our selection of game events from 60 to 117 playable games in every Langoddsen program. This ensures more interesting game events, especially in the spring and fall. At the same time as this change was introduced, the system of two Oddsen programs on the weekend came to an end, so that retailers who are closed on Sundays can also accept wagers on games Increasing satisfaction Each quarter Norsk Tipping conducts a customer survey where we measure the customers’ satisfaction with the company and the company’s goods and services. EXPERIENCED CUSTOMER SERVICE All customer groups, retailers, retailers’ players and online players, have experienced an increase in the quality of the company’s customer services. 79,3 % 82,3 % > 80 Q4 2004 Q4 2005 Target OUR Customer survey: 2004-2005 CUSTOMERS >Players >Winners >At risk players that take place on that day. The midweek program was also expanded from 60 to 117 games. NEW CHANNELS Because more and more players expect the game events to be available through all channels, we conducted a trial project involving the distribution of games via cell phones. The project will be evaluated in 2006, and any further development will take place after this evaluation. NEW PLAYER CARD On 24 October 2005, Norsk Tipping introduced a new multifunction player card with increased security. The most important changes to the player card are: > valid for 3 years compared to only 1 previously > improved security through the use of chip technology instead of a magnetic stripe > increased security against financial crime through the requirement of a Norwegian national identification number and personal ID > increased functionality because the card can be used to register games, pay for them and receive prizes > a permanent player number that the customer can transfer to his or her next player card > a separate player account linked to the customer’s own bank account Few problems were experienced with the introduction of the new player card. We have experienced sporadic incidents in connection with the fact that the price one pays when it is issued has increased from NOK 20 to NOK 60. The card’s duration of validity has meanwhile increased from one to three years, so the price is really the same. Some customers have reacted to being asked for their Norwegian national identification number. This is necessary, however, to ensure address confirmation, which in turn increases security, ensures correct payments and counters criminal misuse of the cards. sidebar] What our customers and players think Our target for customers’ overall satisfaction is 70 out of 100 achievable points. This applies to both players who play via retailers and online players. At the end of 2005, the figures were 68.5 points for retailers’ players and 71.5 points for online players, which represents a positive development relative to 2004. Retailers’ players are the least satisfied with prices and especially satisfied with the personal service they receive from the retailer. In the case of online players there is both increasing overall satisfaction and an improved reputation relative Dialogue with the market and winners MARKETING Norsk Tipping’s ambition is to get the players to choose from an attractive and responsible selection of games in a controlled Norwegian money games market. For us this means that an extra marketing effort also has to be followed up by a focus on control, security, and responsibility in relation to our market communicatios. Despite the fact that our competitors intensified their marketing, Norsk Tipping reduced the extent of its paid communications. In 2005, we spent NOK 95 million (including VAT), which represents a reduction of NOK 17 million relative to 2003. to corresponding surveys in 2004, while the biggest gains in satisfaction can be made relative in other actors. Both online players and retailers, who both have a direct relationship with Norsk Tipping, give our customer services a regular and consistent score in excess of 80 points. [05:] PLAYERS AND CUSTOMERS RETAILERS’ PLAYERS The satisfaction of customers who play via retailers remains constant [ Winners ] and is just under Norsk Tipping’s target. Number of winners of more than NOK 1 million (all games) 319 Number of winners of more than NOK 1.5 million who have been offered financial advice 191 68 % 68,5 % > 70 Q4 2004 Q4 2005 Target Customer survey: 2004–2005 Number of winners who accepted 45 financial advice [ Winner behavior ] Norsk Tipping asked 71 Lotto millionaires some questions about their thoughts and behavior since they became Lotto millionaires. Number of Lotto millionaires called: 71 Did you buy a new car? 55 yes 16 no WINNERS Winning several million Norwegian Kroner can in itself be a challenge to some people. Norsk Tipping therefore has a well-designed system for following up winners: > We guarantee full anonymity to winners who want to shield themselves from any media coverage and other attention. > We personally contact everyone who wins more than NOK 1 million. > Everyone who wins more than no 1.5 million is offered free, independent financial advice from an external partner. > If you win NOK 10 million or more, we offer follow up for an entire year. Did you repay debt? 45 yes 7 no 9 were debt free Did you take a vacation? 35 yes 36 no Do you still play Lotto? 69 yes Of which 37 play quick pick 32 on winning numbers In 2005, we personally contacted 319 winners. 45 accepted our offer of financial advice. In the summer of 2005 we conduced a survey among 70 previous winners. The results from this will be used to further develop our system for winners. Winner survey: June 2005 [ 12 NORSK TIPPING SOCIAL REPORT 2005 On 10 June 2005, the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs introduced guidelines for state-controlled money games. These only entailed small changes in relation to our principles – and the selfassumed ethical guidelines we already use as the starting point for our marketing. In 2005, we have been more clear about the chances of winning when advertising rollover jackpots. All written communications also state when a rollover jackpot was last paid out. The Norwegian Gaming Board has been tasked with ensuring that state-controlled money games comply with these guidelines. ] Plans and goals for 2006 In 2006 we are going to work on: > continuing to develop the number games, Lotto, Joker and Extra, to ensure the attractiveness of the games > renewing production equipment so that we can more easily develop the sports games and introduce product improvements and new variations of games more quickly > restructuring our services for big winners from financial advice to financial guidance, a service that during the spring of 2006 will also be put out to public tender > conducting a new, major survey among big winners to gain more knowledge about what life is like after a big win 07:] 68,6 % Q4 2004 ONLINE PLAYERS The satisfaction of custo- [ New players ] mers who play online has increased and just exceeds Diverse games Norsk Tipping’s target. Below is a summary and profile of Norsk Tipping’s games, based on the proportion of the Norwegian population age 15 and older who played one or more times during the last three months. Number of registered players since launch of new player card (24 Oct. – 31 Dec. 2005) 373625 Registered at retailer: 367351 Registered online: 71,5 % Q4 2005 Customer survey: 2004-2005 1: 6274 > 70 2: Target 3: PLAYER CARD Number of registered new player cards since launch (24 Oct. 2005 – 31 Dec. 2005) 38 9890 Number of old player cards registered during same period last year (24 Oct. 2005 – 31 Dec. 2005) 36 3855 Change 7.20 % 4: POPULATION DATA 2000 2001 2002 3 583 780 3 601 005 3 617 766 Norsk Tipping total 2000 74.2 % 2001 72.9 % 2002 72.3 % 2003 71.7 % 2004 70.3 % 2005 68.5 % Lotto 62.4 % 62.0 % 60.4 % 57.5 % 56.6 % 54.8 % Viking Lotto 29.7 % 27.8 % 27.7 % 27.3 % 27.8 % 24.8 % Extra 26.0 % 22.5 % 24.4 % 24.9 % 24.4 % 23.1 % Joker 8.0 % 15.2 % 21.5 % 23.2 % 26.6 % 27.1 % Tipping 16.9 % 15.9 % 13.4 % 11.7 % 11.5 % 11.6 % Oddsen 8.7 % 9.1 % 9.3 % 8.6 % 7.9 % 8.7 % Flax total 22.0 % 21.2 % 25.6 % 28.3 % 29.1 % 28.6 % Population over 15 years of age 2003 2004 2005 3 641 924 3 666 921 3 697 045 PLAYER BASE Measured in % NB! The figures for each game cannot be totaled/accumulated, since the same customer may have played several games. Source: Market Tracker – TNS Gallup. PLAYER BASE FOR NORSK TIPPING GAMES Measured in number of customers (in 1000s) Norsk Tipping total 2000 2 659 2001 2 625 2002 2 616 2003 2 611 2004 2 578 2005 2 532 Lotto 2 236 2 233 2 185 2 094 2 075 2 026 Viking Lotto 1 064 1 001 1 002 994 1 019 917 Extra 932 810 883 907 895 854 Joker 287 547 778 845 975 1 002 Tipping 606 575 485 426 422 429 Oddsen 312 328 336 313 290 322 Flax total 788 763 926 1 031 1 067 1 057 NB! The figures for each game cannot be totaled/accumulated, since the same customer may have played several games. Player base: % of population (over age 15) who played one or more times during the last 3 months. Number of people: calculated from the population figures from Statistics Norway as of 1 January each year – age group over 15. Market Tracker: a telephone survey of a representative sample of the Norwegian population aged 15 and older. 5: 6: 7: Lotto: Player base (number of players): 2.026.000 Average stake: NOK 44 Average age: 47 Gender distribution: 49% men, 51% women Viking Lotto: Player base (number of players): 917.000 Average stake: NOK 53 Average age: 49 Gender distribution: 53% men, 47% women Joker: Player base (number of players): 1.002.000 Average stake: NOK 25 Average age: 48 Gender distribution: 47% men, 53% women Ekstra: Player base (number of players): 854 000 Average stake: NOK 29 Average age: 48 Gender distribution: 44% men, 56% women Flax: Player base (number of players): 1 057 000 Average stake: NOK 73 Average age: 42 Gender distribution: 47% men, 53% women Oddsen: Player base (number of players): 322.000 Average stake: NOK 171 Average age: 36 Gender distribution: 90% men, 10% women Tipping: Player base (number of players): 429.000 Average stake: NOK 57 Average age: 41 Gender distribution: 79% men, 21% women Method: a telephone survey of a representative sample of the Norwegian population age 15 and older. The number of customers is calculated on the basis of the population figures from Statistics Norway as of 1 January 2005. The average stake is calculated on the basis of the average weekly accrued turnover divided by the number of players in an average week. [05:] GAMING RESPONSIBILITY Gaming responsibility in all links Norsk Tipping is tasked with providing excitement and entertainment to the Norwegian public in the form of informal fun. The players should not experience our operations leading to addiction or other undesirable behavior. As Norway’s largest gaming company we have a special responsibility to take good care of our players, even though surveys concerning problem gaming show that it is not our games that first and foremost trigger compulsive gaming. Norsk Tipping’s work on gaming responsibility shall be based on a consistent, lasting policy independent of fluctuating external pressures and trends in public debate. All decisions in this field shall be based on internationally acknowledged information. GRETE SOLLI CSR Manager [email protected] Challenges in 2005 The most important challenges in 2005 were associated with: > finding a balance between attractive and responsible gaming > ensuring adequate training and information concerning problem gaming behavior > obtaining adequate factual knowledge and staying up-to-date with research on the subject > maintaining an open dialogue with expert and treatment circles, and other professional circles Since the introduction of a program for gaming responsibility in 2004, the further development and follow-up of this program has been an important topic. The program contains measures aimed at players, retailers, our own employees and the rest of society. [ 14 NORSK TIPPING SOCIAL REPORT 2005 ] Activities The prioritized measures in 2005 were: > checking that the 18-year age limit for Oddsen is being complied with (supplementary reporting on page 20) > remaining up-to-date on research and information about problem gambling, both national and international > maintaining our good contact with professional circles > participating in national and international conferences on problem gambling > providing financial support to the pan-Nordic problem gaming conference arranged by SNSUS (Nordic Foundation for Information on Problem Gambling) > ensuring good, adequate information to customers about their chances of winning and about the number of the helpline > developing the content of our retailer course > continuing the implementation of gaming responsibility in all links in the organization SURVEYS In our work on responsible gaming operations we want to base all our decisions on a good, solid knowledge base. This was one of the reasons that in 2005 we ordered and funded a survey on money games Dialogue about problem gaming The work on problem gaming is a key part of the company’s social responsibility work. In order to obtain sufficient and continuous knowledge, it is absolutely necessary to maintain a close dialogue with various expert circles in this field. by the market research company, MMI. “Survey on money games. Gaming behavior and problem gaming in the population”. The Norwegian National Center for Addiction Issues and the Gaming Institute (Sweden) were responsible for the technical aspects of the survey. The survey is based on responses from 3.135 people and resulted in an estimate that 1.9 percent of the population (approx. 71.000 people) have issues with money games and that 3.6 percent can be classified as players at moderate risk (approx. 133.000 players). At-risk and problem players spend far more money on gaming than ordinary players, and spend the largest proportion of this online and on gaming machines. Of our products they spend the most money on Oddsen. Lotto proved, not unexpectedly, to be the game that gained most of its turnover from players without problem-gaming issues. ACTION PLAN TO PREVENT PROBLEM GAMBLING Each year 0.5 percent of Norsk Tipping’s profits are allocated to research, information and the prevention of issues with money games. The main goals are: > to increase the knowledge base on money games and issues with money games > for fewer people to develop issues with money games > to reduce the scope of harm caused by issues with money games NOK 12 million from Norsk Tipping’s profits were distributed between the responsible professional departments in 2005. Stakeholder dialogue, players, partners and society It is important for Norsk Tipping to seek knowledge and experiences from outside the company in relation to this subject. Our job is to build good relationships with both national and international experts, and with various groups with an interest in this field. During the year we maintained a formal and informal stakeholder dialogue experts, groups and organizations. Our goal is to have open and honest relationships in which feedback is regarded as constructive. We disagree on some points, and this will always be the case between the gaming industry and those who work with problem gaming. However, as long as we share a goal of having the fewest possible people with problem gaming issues, we still see an opportunity for a good, constructive partnership. Dialogue with customers/players: > The survey we commissioned from MMI has provided us with valuable information about the subject of problem gaming behavior and the feedback our players provided us with on this subject. Dialogue with expert circles: > Since 2003, we have had a professional partnership with psychologist Thomas Nilsson at Spelinstitutet (the Gaming Institute) in Sweden. Nilsson looks at our responsible gaming work as a whole and provides advice and guidance. > Norsk Tipping works closely with the The Norwegian National Center for Addiction Issues, the only state competence center in Norway with a focus on problem gaming. Besides regular contact about issues associated with problem gaming, the center has this year been responsible for the technical aspects of the MMI survey on problem gaming. This cooperation has also resulted in the production of a brochure and the improvement of a fact booklet on problem gaming. > Despite the fact that we no longer support the helpline through direct funding, we maintain regular contact and utilize the knowledge from their statistics and results in our work. > Our dialogue with the Blue Cross and their work on problem gaming has resulted in, among other things, us starting production on a training film about problem gaming. Interested organizations: > We have also worked together with the Nordic foundation SNSUS. This resulted in two meetings to share experience and financial support/cooperation regarding a conference. The conference took place in Malmö on 29 June 2005. > Norsk Tipping maintains a regular dialogue with the Norwegian association for questions concerning money games (NFP), including an online forum that deals with problem gaming. Norsk Tipping participated with four representatives in NFP’s problem gaming conference in Hamar in OUR CUSTOMERS >Players >Winners >At-risk players sidebar] Families of compulsive gamers PTS (families of compulsive gamers) is one of the organizations Norsk Tipping shares experience with. PTS works with various expert circles in the field of problem gaming, and works to establish groups in which members can help themselves and others in difficult situations. PTS was established in January 2003 on the initiative of Lill Tove Bergmo. Lill Tove Bergmo was very sceptical about Norsk Tipping when the company contacted her and wanted to open a dialogue. “After personally experiencing the consequences of problem gaming, I was naturally skeptical about the gaming industry in general and knew little about both the market and the actors. I had no expectations other than that this would be a battle with powerful forces. I was therefore extremely surprised when I was met with humility, understanding and genuine interest concerning problem gaming. Norsk Tipping acknowledged that they had a lot to learn and that knowledge about problem gaming is a key part of running responsible gaming operations.” “Since the first meeting, Norsk Tipping has put some of its own people exclusively to work on problem gaming, and the dialogue has been very good. We have had one formal meeting with them during the year, but there have also been informal meetings, and we have regular telephone contact,” says Bergmo. [05:] GAMING RESPONSIBILITY PROBLEM GAMING Classification of the Norwegian population (over age15) by degree of gaming problems: September 2005. > We regularly share experience with PTS Norge (families of compulsive gamers) throughout the year, primarily via their chairperson Lill Tove Bergmo. Norsk Tipping met with the PTS’ board in Hamar in March 2005. The gaming industry: > Norsk Tipping, Dansk Tipstjenste, Svenska Spel and Veikkaus have for several years held cooperation meetings to discuss their experiences concerning their work on gaming responsibility. In 2005, we held three meetings: two in Sweden and one in Norway. The companies also regularly share experience via other channels. > Norsk Tipping is a member of the World Lottery Association (WLA) and has signed the WLA’s Code of Conduct. In 2005, Norsk Tipping played a very active part in discussing and formulating a set of common rules concerning gaming responsibly that all member enterprises agreed to at the world conference in Mexico in February 2006. 83.1 % No gaming problems 11.4 % Low-risk players Plans and goals for 2006 and the professional circles within problem gaming > participating in the public debate and reaching an agreement on what responsible gaming operations entail and the role and responsibility Norsk Tipping has in this area > increasing our focus on problem gaming training by developing a learning module and completing a training film on gaming responsibility that will be shown to our employees and retailers > revising a brochure for retailers about responsible gambling and republishing this in the spring of 2006 > verifying our work on gaming responsibility with the help of external expertise, both through continuing our work with psychologist Thomas Nilsson and external verification in cooperation with the Nordic national gaming companies > focusing more intensely, in all our information, on the principle that the customer should be able to make an informed choice based on sufficient, necessary and timely information about the possible implications linked to gaming > carrying out a follow-up of the survey on problem gaming in the summer of 2007 In 2006, we will work on: > maintaining good relationships with the authorities 3.6 % MONEY GAME PLAY BY PLAYERS WITH VARIOUS GAMING BEHAVIORS Moderate-risk players Players who have different degrees of issues with problem gaming behave very differently in relation to different types of games. The table shows how many Norwegain Kroner a player spent the last time they wagered, distributed among players in total, players without gaming issues, low risk players and players at risk and with gaming issues. 1.9 % Risk Problem gamers All players Players without issues Low-risk players Players at risk and with gaming issues 781 134 239 2143 89 31 64 392 Horses 121 96 134 244 Bingo 111 102 97 190 Oddsen 89 66 79 174 Tipping 72 63 77 127 Scratch tickets 81 82 73 89 Lotto 80 79 88 83 Online gaming Gaming machines MMI survey on money games: 2005 Flax 43 39 45 73 Viking Lotto 71 70 73 69 Joker 39 38 39 48 Extra 46 48 42 41 MMI survey on money games: 2005 [ 16 NORSK TIPPING SOCIAL REPORT 2005 ] Secure and safe gaming administration generates trust One important prerequisite for successfully achieving the company’s purpose is that customers, partners and society-at-large trust us. Gaming security is an important factor for gaining trust. WERNER BOSAAEN Head of Security [email protected] The term gaming security covers two main processes: > That sales of games, the conducting of drawings and the payment of prizes are carried out in a correct, consistent and secure manner. > That our retailers and players administer and use our games within the agreements and regulations that apply. Norsk Tipping bases its security work on a standard published by the World Lottery Association, the WLA Security Control Standard. This standard stipulates requirements concerning the routines and processes that we have to have in place. Norsk Tipping is annually certified by Det Norske Veritas in relation to whether or not we meet this standard. Challenges in 2005 The most important security-related challenges in 2005 were associated with: > cases in which our retailers have allowed players to play on credit > monitoring abnormal gaming activity by retailers and players > cases in which we have suspected that our games are being misused for laundering the proceeds of criminal acts The follow-up of abnormal gaming activity by retailers and players is done in order to achieve the purpose for which Norsk Tipping AS was established, as described in section 2 of our articles of association: “provide and organize satisfactory forms of money games under public control, with a view to preventing negative consequences from the money games.” In 2005, two retailers lost their positions after allowing gaming on credit. One of these went to court to regain his position, but lost in two courts. After these cases we sent out reminders and more detailed information about the regulations for our retailers. These are also described in our retailer newsletter. Dialogue with players, partners and society We maintain an active dialogue about gaming security, security risks, and deviations with players, retailers and the authorities. Dialogue with retailers: > We continuously monitor gaming activity and payments from our retailers. Our collection routines were made stricter several times in 2005. During 2005 we canceled our agreements with four retailers and reported them to the police because of financial infidelity against Norsk Tipping. In addition to this we know of two cases in which a retailer has reported employees for embezzlement and/or misappropriation of funds. [ NORSK TIPPING SOCIAL REPORT 2005 17 ] [05:] GAMING SECURITY The cases have not had any financial consequences for Norsk Tipping. [ Follow-up ] RISK AND BREACHES OF GAMING SECURITY: We continuously analyze risk for both players and retailers and follow-up specific cases in which there has been a breach of gaming security. Follow-up of risk and security breaches because of misappropriation of funds against Norsk Tipping 4 Number of retailers reported to police because of misappropriation of funds against Norsk Tipping 4 Number of letters sent out because of abnormally high gaming in 2005 36 Dialogue with players in the danger zone: > Abnormal gaming activity by players is followed up in accordance with objective criteria that we have established. Players who pass certain amount limits for total gaming during the last 365 days receive a letter from us in which we make them aware of the scope of their gaming activity. We inform them that all gaming is associated with a risk of losing and ask them not to play for more than they can afford to loose. In 2005, we sent letters to 36 players. Legal authorities: > In 2005, we testified in several legal proceedings in which there was a suspicion that our prize certifications and unregistered gaming receipts with prizes may have been used in an attempt to launder the proceeds of criminal acts. We monitor gaming activity to uncover the laundering of money if possible. We also cooperate with the police and the prosecuting authorities to gain knowledge about cases of possible document misuse so that we can implement measures against retailers who may be involved in this activity. The Norwegian Gaming Board: > This authority plays an important role with regard to following up drawings and the payment of prizes to the correct winners. During 2005, we moved the location of physical drawings outside Norsk Tipping’s premises. In connection with this we did a lot of work on testing and practicing, including in cooperation with the Norwegian Gaming Board. We follow-up deviations with the Norwegian Gaming Board on an ongoing basis and hold three or four meetings a year in which we coordinate changes and evaluate in order to improve routines and processes. In 2005, we also implemented the following measures to communicate with interested parties: > Meetings with the security managers of the major chains that organize many of our retailers [ 18 NORSK TIPPING SOCIAL REPORT 2005 ] > Meetings with and visits to suppliers of scratch tickets > Meetings with and visits to providers of services associated with the new player card > Meetings with the police and prosecuting authorities concerning the challenges represented by the use of our games for money laundering and criminal acts committed by/at retailers > Meetings with the contact committee for retailers in which various factors concerning performing the role of retailer were discussed Plans and goals for 2006 During 2006 our goal is to implement the following measures regarding gaming security: > Two meetings with the security managers of chains that organize retailers. > Four meetings with Buypass AS to follow-up gaming security in relation to our new player card. > The establishment of a system involving an annual statement of prizes instead of sending out prize certifications to those who win more than NOK 50 000 on an ongoing basis. > Three or four meetings with the Norwegian Gaming Board to follow-up changes and deviations. > Continued follow-up of abnormal gaming activity by retailers and players through internal measures and meetings of the gaming security steering group. > The establishment of reporting and routines enabling us to send a second letter to players with abnormal gaming activity. > Targeted information to retailers about their responsibility to prevent the abuse of our games and about the possible consequences of breaking the law, e.g. by contravening Section 317 of the General Civil Penal Code: aiding and abetting the securing of proceeds from criminal acts. [Growth] of fellowship We promise to make clear, professional demands of our partners, who shall be able to grow and evolve together with us. >> [05:] RETAILERS Good availability and great integrity The retailers are Norsk Tipping’s external public face and our principle ambassadors. Every week nearly 4.000 retailers with a total of 15.000 – 16.000 employees are involved in the sale of games for Norsk Tipping. JAN PEDER STRØMSLID Vice President Sales & Marketing [email protected] THORBJØRN UNNEBERG Senior Vice President Solospill [email protected] Completed FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE RETAILER SYSTEM Norsk Tipping has chosen two main areas for its work on the development of the retailer system: > Internal development to ensure that being a Norsk Tipping retailer remains attractive, including the development of differentiated service concepts that can be adapted to each individual retailer’s operations. > Activities, training and supervision with a view to ensuring that our values and attitudes concerning responsibility are communicated to retailers. > information campaigns targeted at retailers > information about sanctions linked to a failure to comply with the 18 years age limit > spot checks of retailers with the help of the security company, Falck Challenges in 2005 The most important challenges in 2005 were associated with: > monitoring the 18-year age limit for Oddsen > new player card > the industry’s rapid evolution > differentiated retailer development > increasing competition [ 20 NORSK TIPPING SOCIAL REPORT 2005 ] activities In 2005, a total of 203 million sales transactions were sent in to Norsk Tipping’s central system from our retailers, which make the retailers our absolutely most important distribution channel. The retailers also have an important responsibility to ensure that the games are promoted in a responsible manner that prevents any potential unfortunate aspects of gaming such as problem gaming, money laundering and gaming on credit. 18-YEAR AGE LIMIT FOR ODDSEN Because Oddsen is potentially the one game we run which entails the greatest risk of problem gaming, Norsk Tipping introduced a self-imposed 18-year age limit for playing Oddsen. One of the main priorities for 2005 was to ensure the effective enforcement of this at retailers. This was done through the following three types of measures: In connection with the sale of odds games, retailers are supposed to check the ID of all odds players under the age of 23 to ensure the 18-year age limit is complied with. The inspectors who conducted spot checks during 2005 where all at least 18 years old, but well under 23. Based on the spot checks that have been conducted, more than 80 per cent of the retailers did not ask for age ID when selling to our inspectors. This result shows that a lot of work remains to be done before Norsk Tipping can feel satisfied with the enforcement of the 18-year age limit for Oddsen. Feedback from some of our retailers may indicate that there is a conflict in values and interests with Good, consistent customer services Retailers are an extremely vital part of Norsk Tipping’s value chain, and it is therefore important to analyze the degree of service they receive and their satisfaction. regard the age limit. They think it is difficult to ask for ID from a customer whom they think is over 18. Some retailers also think that they have a good tradition of showing responsibility in the sale of games and that they are good at assessing a customer’s age through observation. Norsk Tipping will continue its dialogue with its retailers concerning this problem and increase its efforts with respect to training, information and monitoring. As a final solution we will also utilize our option to impose sanctions, which in the ultimate consequence may result in the retailer losing their post. NEW PLAYER CARD Norsk Tipping launched its new player card in October 2005. 1,850 retailers were visited in the space of the final few weeks prior to its launch to ensure a pain-free introduction of the player card. The remaining retailers were called by customer services. As a result the new player card was introduced without technical problems. Almost half a million cards were issued in the course of the year’s last three months. GAMING AT THE REGISTER One of the development measures in 2005 was a trial project involving gaming at the register. Five retailers had an opportunity to offer ‘lightning’ gaming directly at the point of sale. The project will be evaluated in 2006, and any further development will take place after this evaluation. COURSES AND TRAINING Norsk Tipping held 47 retailer courses during 2005 with a total of 686 participants. All those holding new positions as retailers were called into Norsk Tipping for training. The course subjects involve training in all the practical things one has to know to be a retailer, and they also include subjects such as ethics and gaming responsibility. The content of the course was adjusted in the fall of 2005 because of the introduction of the new player card. ting of retailer positions on any special district policy considerations. This is balanced somewhat by our participation in the Merkur Program under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The program is threefold and has the following goals: > To facilitate the maintenance of good quality service provision in the periphery through the further development and improvement of the existing service provision. > To ensure the local population in the periphery access to a grocery store near their home. > To contribute to increased comprehension among the population and politicians of the importance of the grocery store in one’s local neighborhood. In 2005, 12 retailer positions were established thanks to the cooperation with Merkur. The criteria for obtaining a retailer position under this program include the applicant being a typical rural store, the applicant being a participant in the Merkur project, and the turnover from gaming averaging at least NOK 8,000 per week. INCREASING COMPETITION Money games are not meant to compete through the use of financial incentives. This is a steadily increasing dilemma for Norsk Tipping, also with regard to the retailers. For example, by approving the Yezz scratch tickets run by Norske Spill, the authorities have helped establish a competitor for Norsk Tipping’s Flax tickets through the same distribution channel. Norske Spill is currently offering double the commission from the sale of its scratch tickets compared with Norsk Tipping’s commission. This is a strong financial incentive to retailers, and the most important reason why Flax experienced a fall in turnover in 2005 that reduced the contribution to the beneficiaries by NOK 60 million. This is a dilemma and a challenge for the company. OUR PARTNERS AND US >Coworkers >Retailers >Suppliers sidebar] What retailers think Every quarter, Norsk Tipping conducts a customer survey in which retailers are included. The survey looks at both players’ satisfaction with retailers and the retailers’ own assessments of Norsk Tipping. We have noted a slight fall in total satisfaction, which is mainly due to Norsk Tipping not living up to the retailers’ expectations to the extent they did before. The level of satisfaction however remains close to the target figure, which is 75 out of 100 achievable points. The games are the most important driving force behind satisfaction, and here the level of satisfaction remains high and stable. This indicates that the retailers are satisfied with the attractiveness of the games. There is, however, some room for improvement regarding the number of games because many people think, for example, that there are too many types of Flax ticket. In the NEW RETAILERS Norsk Tipping stipulates strict criteria when granting positions as retailers, with respect to both finances and suitability. The number of retailers increased by 107 in 2005. Norsk Tipping now has a total of 3.954 retailers. Norsk Tipping does not usually base the gran- Dialogue with retailers Stores are increasingly coming under the management of chains through defined chain concepts. Several chains also own the stores themselves, which helps to increase the degree of central management of those of our retailers who belong to one of the major chains. A dialogue and contact case of customer services, Norsk Tipping regularly and consistently scores higher than the target figure, which in relation to retailers lies above 80 out of 100 attainable points. RETAILERS 3954 [05:] x x with the chains is becoming increasingly important in ensuring that money games are prioritized as a product group. x x 3847 x 3840 3846 3849 x x x x The most important elements of the dialogue with retailers are: > a formalized dialogue and contact schedule with individual retailers and chains > continuous, ongoing cooperation on campaigns, development plans, day-to-day operations and skills development > direct dialogue with each individual retailer through our sales managers and customer services > regular surveys to measure the retailers’ satisfaction with Norsk Tipping, in which the results form the basis for specific improvements in the cooperation with retailers > meetings with the retailers’ contact committee. This committee consists of representatives of the chains, independent retailers, and committee members from the Federation of Norwegian Commercial and Service Enterprises (HSH). Three meetings were held in 2005. x x x x x x x x x x 01 02 03 04 05 NUMBER OF RETAILERS 4470 As of 31 December 2005 x 4379 x 4364 4343 4386 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 01 02 03 04 Plans and 05 NUMBER OF TERMINALS 660 mill. x x x 682 mill. x x 711 mill. 729 mill. 741 mill. As of 31 December 2005 x goals for 2006 In 2006, Norsk Tipping is planning to invest in new digital flatscreens for all retailers. The screens constitute an important part of our retailer concept and open the way for a totally new method of communicating with customers. The screens will facilitate future central management of content, which will ensure that the retailers get correct, upto-date information at the right time. The new solution will thus save retailers time in connection with the follow-up of campaigns. At the same time this will produce savings through reduced advertising material costs for Norsk Tipping. The new screen will be installed as of the month of May. x x x Otherwise we will specifically work on the following in 2006: x x x x x x x x x > Continuing our focus on retailer development with special planning concepts adapted to our partners’ needs. We will introduce separate skills programs adapted to the various chains and have a more differentiated follow-up of the customers based on individual needs. > Increasing utilization of the potential inherent in new technology for training purposes as well. x x x x x x x x x x 01 02 03 04 05 TOTAL REPORTED RETAILER REMUNERATION [ 22 NORSK TIPPING SOCIAL REPORT 2005 ] We are therefore planning to introduce eLearning for retailers in the spring of 2006. > Continuing our focus on the 18-year age limit in which we will continue our cooperation with the security company Falck to check age limits at our retailers, while at the same continuing our information and public awareness campaigns. RETAILERS PER COUNTY At the end of 2005, Norsk Tipping had 3.954 retailers in its nationwide network, distributed as follows: Retailers per county Akershus Aust-Agder Buskerud Finnmark Hedmark Hordaland Møre og Romsdal Nordland Nord-Trøndelag Oppland Oslo Rogaland Sogn og Fjordane Sør-Trøndelag Telemark Troms Vest-Agder Vestfold Østfold Svalbard 287 100 192 112 196 361 278 280 125 201 362 281 130 236 155 168 132 159 198 1 Effective purchasing within predictable limits Norsk Tipping shall be a professional purchaser and make clear demands on its suppliers. At the same time the suppliers shall be given the opportunity to grow and develop. Challenges in 2005 The most important supplier-related challenges in 2005 were associated with: KJELL OLSTAD Manager Common Functions [email protected] > the implementation of the Public Procurement Act > the Program 150 efficiency program > internal competence programs associated with purchasing PUBLIC PROCUREMENT From 1 January 2005, Norsk Tipping AS became subject to the Public Procurement Act. The act and pertinent regulations are intended to contribute to increased value creation in society by ensuring the most efficient possible utilization of resources when undertaking public procurements. The Act contains fundamental requirements concerning competition, equal treatment, predictability, transparency, verifiability and objective and non-discriminatory criteria. We comply with the Public Procurement Act and practice competition in all purchases that fall under the regulations’ provisions. Purchasing processes are implemented with public notice at all public procurements that exceed a threshold of NOK 500 000. Norsk Tipping AS was not reported to the Norwegian Complaints Board for Public Procurement (KOFA) in 2005 for breaching the rules concerning public procurement. The Office of the Auditor General has reviewed our routines. PROGRAM 150 The Public Procurement Act has required a lot of attention vis-à-vis the incorporation of routines and procedures for purchasing in all parts of the organization. The Program 150 purchasing program shall ensure both the implementation of the Public Procurement Act and result in cost savings totaling NOK 150 million by 2007. INTERNAL PROGRAM In order to ensure that the efficiency goals are achieved at the same time as the routines are revised to accommodate the new purchasing requirements, we have continued the work that was started in 2004 with internal programs along several lines: > corporal climate > knowledge > organization > tools > quality > ethics CORPORAL CLIMATE Program 150 has worked systematically to develop a climate that focuses on cost awareness and commercial understanding. This is reinforced by the organization working to achieve specific savings goals. KNOWLEDGE Much emphasis is placed on furnishing information to all levels of the organization, and both the internal [ NORSK TIPPING SOCIAL REPORT 2005 23 ] [05:] SUPPLIERS and external training of key coworkers has been completed. [ Purchasing ] Total consumption of goods and services in 2005: 1 022 000 000,Completed public procurements in 2005: 276 000 000,Renegotiation of valid agreements in 2005: 223 000 000,Proportion of public procurements and renegotiations in 2005: 49 % Other consumption consists of two factors: 1) Valid agreements signed pursuant to the Public Procurement Act prior to 2005. These often have a validity of 2-4 years before they will be put out to tender again. 2) Purchases under NOK 500.000 that are not subject to the regulations relating to public procurement. These purchases are made pursuant to the principles of competition among the competitors to ensure the best possible utilization of resources for Norsk Tipping AS. Norsk Tipping AS was not reported for breaching the rules concerning public procurements in 2005. ORGANIZATION The purchasing organization in Norsk Tipping undergoes continuous evaluation and development. This work will be ratcheted up in 2006. ] goals for 2006 Plans and QUALITY The purchasing program generally entails a stronger focus on the quality of our supplier relationships. This also applies to, among other things, fulfillment of signed contracts, follow-up of agreements, and the introduction of systems and routines that can ensure the necessary openness and predictability in all contractual relationships. In 2006, we will particularly work on: > the continuous evaluation and development of the purchasing organization > further development of the electronic purchasing guide > cost-effectiveness and compliance with the regulations for public procurement, while at the same time developing good relationships with our chosen suppliers > the company’s ethical guidelines were revised and adopted in 2005, and in 2006 we will ensure that these are complied with in all processes within the purchasing organization ETHICS The company’s principles concerning ethical and moral conduct in relation to purchasing have been revised and adopted in 2005. The purpose of the ethical guidelines for purchasing is to make the company’s purchasers aware that they must have a high level of integrity and loyalty to the organization’s guidelines and routines for purchasing. In this way the company’s interests will be addressed through our building up a good, trusting relationship with society, public authorities and suppliers. All purchases in Norsk Tipping shall be put out to tender and involve the equal treatment of suppliers, predictability, verifiability and the utilization of objective, non-discriminatory criteria (see the ethical guidelines on page 7). Norsk Tipping maintains an active dialogue with suppliers and is interested in both Norsk Tipping’s needs and the suppliers’ development opportunities. As an important tool the company has developed a supplier development program to manage key, important deliveries and partner relationships. The NORSK TIPPING SOCIAL REPORT 2005 > increasing value and improving cost-effectiveness > increased quality and precision of deliveries TOOLS An electronic guide for purchasing has been developed. The purchasing guide contains information and guidelines for purchasing pursuant to the regulations for public procurement. The guide also contains an electronic system for the administration of contracts and agreements which will replace the current manual filing system. Dialogue with suppliers [ 24 program aims to promote closer cooperation with selected suppliers in which the following are among the things to be focused on: Norsk Tipping relies on good external partners in both operational activities and in being able to develop our products and services. In 2006, there will be greater focus on the organization’s handling of deliveries that are of strategic importance to the organization, and our goal is to initiate more specific projects in the course of the year. [equal] worth We promise our coworkers technical, professional and personal development based on equal worth and ethical core values. >> [05:] OUR COWORKERS motivated Competent, coworkers strengthen our brand Norsk Tipping’s employees are an important part of Norsk Tipping’s total brand. We are therefore interested in further developing the organization’s human capital. There will always be areas in which we can develop and improve. Human resource management is one of the areas that have been in particular focus during 2005. Challenges in 2005 GRO SØRBØ Organization and HR Director [email protected] The most important internal challenges in 2005 were associated with: > > > > > management development practical HR management ethical issues and values healthy lives and health initiatives seniors policy Activities implemented MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT In the last two years Norsk Tipping has carried out management training in cooperation with the Senter for Prestasjonsutvikling/Olympiatoppen. Training processes were initiated in all management teams during 2005. In some departments all coworkers are involved in this. The training is based on four main topics: good leadership, good understanding of goals, optimum organization of the team, and culture, values and attitudes. PRACTICAL HR MANAGEMENT By increasing our competence in selected subjects we wish help managers with personnel responsibility become more aware of their management responsibilities. We have developed internal thematic modules, and all of these are carried out using internal [ 26 NORSK TIPPING SOCIAL REPORT 2005 ] resources. Practical personnel management contains 12 different subjects: > > > > > > > > > > > > inclusive employment working hours, leave, time off and vacations agreements and collective wage settlements the difficult conversation security – policy and routines finance – policy and routines review of the company’s policies (ethical guidelines, secondary occupations/board positions, seniors policy, benefits, alcohol policy) competence building development interviews conflict management workforce/recruitment project work In 2005, 33 managers participated in one or more of the modules. ETHICAL QUESTIONS AND VALUES During 2005, the employees received an introduction to the ethical guidelines. This also forms part of the start program for all new employees. Managers with personnel responsibilities must follow this up within their own departments and units. The policy concerning secondary occupations AGE DISTRIBUTION OF EMPLOYEES As of 31 December 2005 Information is important 7% 36 % 32 % 20 % 5% 20–29 years 30–39 years 40–49 years 50–59 years 60 years and older and board positions was revised in 2004. All employees have written confirmation of which position/secondary occupation they hold, and they also have written confirmation that they have read Norsk Tipping’s policy concerning secondary occupations and board positions. An advance assessment is made of the extent to which a position can be combined with the employment situation in the company. The company’s core values are interaction, courage, commitment and performance. The values were established a few years ago based on suggestions from the employees and as part of the company’s strategic process. “Annual Gleams of the year” is nominated in connection with the work on the values in the company. The person who is elected must have adhered to the company’s core values in a particularly good way. All employees can nominate candidates, and a jury makes the final selection. FINE PRODUCTS MUST BE WELL CARED FOR The company has an established seniors policy. The aim is to ensure that coworkers are treated well and in a predictable manner throughout their entire period of employment. In 2005, the company celebrated the fact that 28 workers were awarded the Royal Norwegian Society for Development’s medal for long and faithful service. The company has an active pensioner Tipping’s brand, but internally the employer – employee relationship is at least as important. association. This association holds its meetings in the company’s premises and several pensioners exercise at Norsk Tipping on a weekly basis. Internal dialogue with coworkers We have for several years held a regular weekly forum with the employees’ trade unions. The topics discussed at these meetings vary from company strategy to reviews of status and results achieved by the customer services unit. The purpose of the meetings is to gain an insight into a variety of the company’s areas, tasks and challenges. Managers from various areas participate in the meetings as needed within their fields. The employee representatives are invited to put forward proposals regarding subjects. Formal issues are discussed among the parties on the basis of the applicable information, based on the earlier agreements. Plans and HEALTHY LIVES AND HEALTH INITIATIVES The company has continued its preventative health work. Norsk Tipping also shared its experience internationally in 2005 at the Enterprise for Health conference in Berlin. The exercise activities are comprehensive and range from Nordic walking to relaxation training. The “walking team” was started as a new initiative in 2005. Some people exercise before the working day starts or right after it ends, while others exercise in the evening. The goal of the initiative is to encourage greater physical activity. Just over 250 employees are now active participants. Some select groups have also been offered health profiles. The provision is targeted at shift employees and groups in which it is important to prevent load-induced disorders. The company also has an active company sports team that organizes various types of activities. The company’s coworkers are a key part of Norsk goals for 2006 In 2006, we will particularly focus on: > downsizing as a consequence of the gaming machines case > human resources management > management and coworker development > ethical guidelines GAMING MACHINES The company’s main challenge in 2006 will be downsizing as a consequence of the gaming machines case. Based on policy signals, Norsk Tipping has implemented the organizational changes necessary to facilitate the operation and development of gaming machines. New coworkers were recruited into the company during the last two years to run this field. The consequence of the postponement of the gaming machines case was that Norsk Tipping had to take the same measures that other companies would in a similar situations, i.e. implement downsizing. This process is being carried out in close cooperation with the trade unions. Cooperative meetings were held at an early point in time to deal with the various issues associated with this special situation. OUR PARTNERS AND US >Coworkers >Retailers >Suppliers sidebar] What our coworkers think The biggest internal challenge lately has been downsizing as a consequence of the postponement of Norsk Tipping’s take-over of the gaming machines market. “This has been a major and important issue. We have not won acceptance on all points. However, it has been our experience that the process has been conducted orderly and performed with a large degree of openness and willingness to negotiate on the part of the management,” say representatives of the key trade unions in Norsk Tipping, Tone Andersen of NTL and William Nilssen of NITO. The two union representatives place great emphasis on the regular, weekly meetings with the company’s personnel management, which make it possible to share points of view and get involved in the process at an early stage in important issues. The working environment committee and the Board of Directors, on which two employee representatives sit, are also important arenas for COMPETENCE MANAGEMENT Competence management is strategically important to the company and will be developed further in 2006. This will be done by: employee information and influence according to the union representatives. [05:] OUR COWORKERS SICK LEAVE 2004 2005 4.0 % 1.0 % 4.6 % 1.1 % Total Short-term sick leave Total Short-term sick leave GENDER DISTRIBUTION OF ALL EMPLOYEES 88 % 88 % 85 % 92 % 92 % 91 % ETHICAL GUIDELINES During 2006, we shall review how we can ensure that the company’s ethical guidelines are followed up and complied with. We shall establish routines in which it is clear to all employees where to report any ethical breaches and how Norsk Tipping’s management and Board of Directors will follow this up. We are also going to ensure compliance with the policy for secondary occupations and board positions, and that there is a good balance between the employees’ commitment inside and outside the company. 88 % 97 % 95% 96 % 92 % 87 % Men 367 67 % Women 373 33 % 98 % As of 31 December 2005 95 % GENDER DISTRIBUTION OF MANAGERS MANAGEMENT AND COWORKER DEVELOPMENT Norsk Tipping’s strategic plan stipulates that annual surveys of employee satisfaction shall be conducted. The methodology and layout of the survey will be prepared during Q1 and Q2. The intention of this is to facilitate the measurement of the effect of the areas one has specifically worked on. New managers shall participate in training in all the modules for practical personnel management, while other managers shall be offered training in individual modules as needed. The results from the (Intellectual Capital) IC Rating in 2004 showed that there is a need to make responsibilities and goals clearer for coworkers and managers. In 2006, we shall therefore implement the following measures: > Draw up and implement role and responsibility descriptions and measurement parameters for all 96 % Men (206) 94 % 56 % Women (161) 93 % 44 % managers with personnel responsibilities. > Prepare goals at an individual level for all coworkers: a task that will be assigned to all managers with personnel responsibilities. > Further develop the meetings with all managers on the topics: sick leave, designation of areas for improvement, and the planning of measures. 86 % > developing and implementing a skills strategy for the company, including methods of human resource management > analyzing business-critical competence > drawing up measures to safeguard business-critical competence As of 31 December 2005 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 82 % x x x x x 79 % x x x x x 312 x x 299 x 289 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 01 01 01 01 01 02 03 04 05 02 03 04 05 Senior managers 02 03 04 Middle managers 05 02 03 TREND IN WOMEN’S PAY AS A PERCENTAGE OF MEN’S PAY As of 31 December 2005 Based on average pay NORSK TIPPING SOCIAL REPORT 2005 ] 05 Experts/group leaders TOTAL EMPLOYEES [ 28 04 02 03 Coworkers 04 05 [society] and environment We promise the environment and society-at-large that we will develop our reputation through openness and dialogue. >> [05:] COMMUNICATION AND SPONSORSHIP Our reputation shall be developed through communication and dialogue transparent The main goal of our communications work is to help define, develop and strengthen Norsk Tipping’s reputation in society in general and with all the groups and stakeholders parties that in some way or another have an interest in our operations. PEER JACOB SVENKERUD Senior Vice President Information and External Relations [email protected] We place special emphasis in this work on performing our operations in a manner that balances the various groups’ interests, making Norsk Tipping’s contribution to society visible, and that takes into consideration each of the individual interested parties’ unique relationship with Norsk Tipping. We seek to do this proactively and therefore approach this challenge in a way that ensures the early identification of issues that could affect our reputation and our position. Challenges in 2005 The gaming market milieu is undergoing rapid change and competition continues to increase from all sides, despite attempts by the authorities to put the brakes on this development. This is due to a number of reasons: > foreign actors who want to enter the Norwegian market > new technology that facilitates new games and gaming channels and which enables games to be offered across national borders > a gradual merging of entertainment and gaming, as well as increased public interest in money games As a result of this we are seeing people’s gaming behavior change, which is one of the reasons behind the ‘explosion’ of the gaming machines market. [ 30 NORSK TIPPING SOCIAL REPORT 2005 ] Simultaneously, a number of interested parties and actors are challenging Norsk Tipping’s exclusive rights role. This has been particularly evident in connection with the Storting’s (the Norwegian parliament) resolution to grant Norsk Tipping the exclusive right to operate gaming machines and the legal proceedings that have followed in the wake of this decision. Dialogue with society From a communications perspective we face challenges in gaining support for and legitimizing our role and operations towards the individual interested parties. Over a period of time, the communications function has therefore developed a structured approach based on dialogue, monitoring and the identification of relevant issues and the actual measurement of status and results. As a result of this, our work is based on a regular, close dialogue with, among others: > The Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs > representatives of the beneficiaries within Norwegian sports and culture > retailers and partners > organizations and individuals with a special interest in our operations Combating bullying STRICT STATE CONTROL Statement: Money games should be run under strict state control. Soccer celebrities, the Tufte boys and thousands of schoolchildren and young people are involved in the anti-bullying project “På lag mot mobbing”. 51 % 24 % 10 % 6% 5% 2% Strongly agree Somewhat agree Neither agree nor disagree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree Do not Unanswered know/cannot answer 1% MMI survey on money games: 2005 MORE CONTROL Statement: There should be more control of where, when, what and how much people play. 28 % 27 % 17 % 11 % 13 % 2 % Strongly agree Somewhat agree Neither agree nor disagree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree 2% Do not Unanswered know/cannot answer MMI survey on money games: 2005 NORWEGIAN SPORTS AND CULTURE Because of the distribution of the profits it is natural for Norsk Tipping to develop special relationships with Norwegian sports and culture. Today we are one of Norway’s most important partners with and sponsors of Norwegian sports and culture and have a series of agreements of both a strategic and tactical nature. Because we feel a value-related sense of fellowship with precisely the sports and cultural sectors, these agreements help to communicate and reinforce our reputation-related value base and facilitate an effective positioning of our games. The measures and activities we carry out within the areas of sponsorship and partnership are intended to contribute to consolidating the company’s position as a responsible operator and social entrepreneur. MEDIA CONTACT As one of enterprises in the country that receives the most media coverage external information about Norsk Tipping is both important and necessary. During the last few years we have developed steadily better routines to identify relevant issues and monitor what is actually being said and written about Norsk Tipping. We use this knowledge actively to ensure that we develop precise and relevant communications for all target groups, not least in relation to the media. OUR MILIEU >The authorities >Society >The environment >Beneficiaries >Interest groups sidebar] Community partners Regardless of what the gaming profits go to, Norsk Tipping is involved in sponsorship and collaborative projects with others in society. The anti-bullying REPUTATION MEASUREMENT The final area of our communications work is measurement. In addition to regular media analysis, we conduct a major reputation analysis/reputation accounting every second year in which all important interested parties’ relationships with Norsk Tipping are surveyed. This analysis provides us with an important picture of society’s perception of Norsk Tipping as a company and the expectations society has of the company. The reputation analysis is used as a basis for further improvement work, both within the communications function and across Norsk Tipping’s other units. SPONSORS On the sponsorship side of things, we have strengthened our contact with important partners. Among other things, we have renewed our largest and most important partnership agreement with the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) and strengthened our partnership with the Norwegian Confederation of Sports. The primary purpose of this is to work actively with parallel challenges that the partners and Norsk Tipping face. In addition, project, “På lag mot mobbing”, which is a collaborative project with the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF), is one of the largest and most important of these. Meetings between well-known role models and 5th, 6th and 7th graders are a key part of the anti-bullying program. These meetings can involve well-known and popular soccer players visiting schools or school classes visiting Norwegian soccer teams like Rosenborg or Stabæk. An educational course has been designed which turns the spotlight on the issue of bullying in sports, at school and in with friends situations. The project has an active website which both children and parents can visit and seek advice and guidance. The children’s TV show, “PysjPopBaluba”, also has its own anti-bullying segments. The Tufte soccer team members are now honorary ambassadors for the campaign. The well-known Tufte player and psychology student Martin Bull Gudmundsen thinks it is very important that they do their bit for this campaign. “Many people find a sense of fellowship through sports. But there are also examples of sports circles which reject people because of their sexual orientation, for example, or the fact that someone doesn’t live up to expectations on the playing field,” says Bull Gudmundsen. The Tufte star also wants to shed light on this negative aspect of sports. [05:] MILJØ PROFITS FOR SOCIALLY BENEFICIAL GOOD CAUSES PURPOSES Statement: The profits Statement: It is sensible to fund from money games go socially beneficial purposes to good causes through money games 59 % Strongly agree 30 % Strongly agree 23 % 24 % Somewhat agree Somewhat agree 7% 13 % Neither agree nor disagree Neither agree nor disagree 5% 12 % Somewhat disagree Somewhat disagree 2% 17 % Strongly disagree Strongly disagree 3% 2% Do not know/cannot answer Do not know/cannot answer 1% 2% Unanswered Unanswered we have increased our visibility in Norway’s culture sector through the establishment and reinforcement of several important partnership agreements, e.g. through Drømmekonsertene (The Dream Concerts) under the auspices of the Norwegian Band Federation, Drømmestipendet (the Dream Scholarship) that is awarded in cooperation with the Norwegian Council of Art Schools and similar agreements. Plans and > a new reputation analysis > the renewal of our communications tools > spreading information and knowledge about Norsk Tipping’s role NEW REPUTATION ANALYSIS We will conduct a new reputation analysis to analyze the development of our reputation and identify new viewpoints and issues that interested parties might be interested in. The analysis will help to form the basis of future prioritizations and plans, and will be used as a starting point for further dialogue with various interest groups. We already know that there are great expectations when it comes to Norsk Tipping fulfilling and displaying its social role. While the expectations today are that we should be able to document responsible gaming behavior, we nonetheless expect that we will increasingly have to document and make visible the fact that we also have responsible intentions and good intentions in all that we do. It will therefore be important to develop the company’s communications platform and activities in a manner that makes our social profile even more visible to all groups. In order to achieve this we must first identify factors that promote our reputation and establish MMI Survey on money games: 2005 [ 32 NORSK TIPPING SOCIAL REPORT 2005 goals for 2006 In addition to continued ongoing improvements in all aspects of our communications work we will prioritize three specific projects in 2006: ] clear communications programs for these, as well as improve our tools for the continuous measurement of our reputation. RENEWAL OF COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS It is important to ensure that we always develop and renew our communications tools so that we are able to communicate our values and the contribution we make to society in changed circumstances and to new target groups. To increase the visibility of our social commitment and our willingness to exercise social responsibility we will therefore do a lot of work on developing new sponsorship concepts like the anti-bullying project “På lag mot mobbing”. These are concepts that can reach new target groups better and help establish new attitudes and new information that the company wishes to stand for and bring to the attention of society. This will be the main focus of the sponsorship efforts in 2006. KNOWLEDGE ABOUT OUR ROLE Finally it is important to call attention to the fact that Norsk Tipping is in a special position with regard to the role we fulfill by making a positive contribution to society. By increasing knowledge about what the company’s profits go to and thus focusing on the company’s importance to Norwegian sports, culture and voluntary organizations, we are going to increase loyalty to the company and the games that we deliver at any given time. We will focus further on this work in 2006. Good indoor climate and the sustainable consumption of resources Norsk Tipping delivers products that do not pose major challenges with respect to emissions into the air or water, but it is nonetheless very conscious of the environmental impact of its operations from the consumption of resources, transportation effects, and waste management. A good indoor climate is not least a high priority. GUSTAV THORSRUD Real Estate Manager [email protected] The environment is taken into consideration at all levels in Norsk Tipping’s premises. This includes ecology, economy and society. The building is designed to consume resources and energy in an environmentally friendly way, and provide a good and healthy indoor climate. The building is also flexible, has good communications, and is of an aesthetic, holistic quality. Environmentally certified, sustainable products are utilized. Norsk Tipping AS realizes there is a correlation between the physical working environment and the employees’ health and performance. In a good environment with good relationships between people one can both feed off and generate energy. The building has good ventilation, good acoustics and good lighting. Green plants form part of a good working environment. Energy consumption and waste management Norsk Tipping has good routines for efficient energy consumption and waste management: > All waste is source-sorted > Fluorescent tubes are treated as hazardous waste and placed in a separate container > There are separate containers for food waste, paper and other waste > Other waste is source sorted at the waste reception facility > All electricity consumed for heating is time controlled > Comfort cooling provides the right indoor temperature during both summer and winter > Dedicated cleaners clean daily > The entire building is maintained annually Heat recovery Norsk Tipping has a modern ventilation system that filters incoming and outgoing air. The system involves a rotating heat recuperator, which means that one can use the existing hot air in the building to heat up cold air from outside. Dialogue with interested parties Norsk Tipping distributes 200 million coupons and 20 million Oddsen programs annually. It is therefore important for us to maintain a good dialogue with our suppliers of paper and printing. We cooperate with our suppliers on this, and stipulate contractual environmental requirements concerning the fact that everything should be printed on unbleached, recycled paper using atoxic printer’s ink. Norsk Tipping’s coupons and programs have been certified with the green swan label as environment friendly since 2004. The label is visible evidence that the production [ NORSK TIPPING SOCIAL REPORT 2005 33 ] [05:] THE ENVIRONMENT Green-swanlabeled printed materials Green-swan-labeling is visible evidence that the production of Norsk Tipping’s coupons and programs satisfies a series of environmental requirements. of coupons and Oddsen programs satisfies a series of environmental requirements. Recycling of materials Since 2004, Norsk Tipping has had a permanent agreement with the company ‘Materialretur’ involving the payment of a certain fee to help ensure that the packaging from Norsk Tipping’s products goes to recycling. The company ‘Materialretur’ collects the packaging fee that the materials companies need in order to organize the collection and recycling schemes. OUR MILIEU >The authorities >Society >The environment >Beneficiaries >Interest groups Plans and sidebar] goals for 2006 Norsk Tipping will primarily focus on energy saving measures in its environmental work in 2006. Environmental considerations Norsk Tipping annually produces 200 million coupons and 20 million Oddsen programs. 25 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x such as Norsk Tipping, environmental considerations are a key part of the company’s social responsibility. Norsk Tipping has worked closely with its print suppliers to achieve environmental friendly production. The green swan label is the visible evidence of this. The green swan label is a x x 222 4468 304 21 23 20 x x 174 justifiable manner. For a state-owned enterprise x x x 191 printed in an environmentally friendly and x 4310 to ensure that both coupons and programs are 4500 It is therefore important that the company helps 4580 chopping down 30 soccer fields of forest. 23 show that this quantity of paper is equivalent to 348 4781 Calculations carried out by Ecolabelling, Norway x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 01 01 01 02 03 04 05 02 03 04 05 02 03 04 05 guarantee that the production of coupons and ENERGY CONSUMPTION OPERATIONAL BUILDINGS NUMBER OF RECYCLABLE ODDSEN PROGRAMS NUMBER OF RECYCLABLE COUPONS programs has been certified since 2004. Megawatt hours Distributed in millions Distributed in millions [healthy] management We promise to manage our operations in accordance with healthy organizational principles that can be evaluated and verified. >> [05:] AUDIT REPORT VERITAS [ 36 NORSK TIPPING SOCIAL REPORT 2005 ] [ NORSK TIPPING SOCIAL REPORT 2005 37 ] [05:] CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Corporate governance Norsk Tipping’s corporate governance is based on the company’s two key social tasks: to generate profits for socially beneficial purposes and to imultaneously act as the state’s instrument for ensuring a responsible gaming market. A great deal of emphasis is given to good, reliable corporate governance in line with the expectations society-at-large has of us. The company’s purpose Norsk Tipping’s purpose is defined by the company’s articles of association: “The company shall, pursuant to the rules of the games stipulated by the Ministry, provide and organize satisfactory forms of money games under public control, with a view to prevent negative consequences from the money games, at the same time as the rational operation of the company shall facilitate as much of the profit from the games as possible being able to go to the purposes mentioned in Section 10 of the Gaming Act.” Section 10 of the Gaming Act stipulates that the company’s profits shall be distributed equally between sporting and cultural purposes. The Ministry’s role Norsk Tipping is a wholly state-owned corporation under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs. The Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs grants permission to introduce new games and decides on the rules for the games. The Ministry also determines the portion of the total amount wagered that is allocated to prizes. The Minister of Culture and Church Affairs constitutes the company’s general assembly. The Board’s role Norsk Tipping AS is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of five independent members appointed by the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs, and two representatives from Norsk Tipping, elected from among and by the company’s employees. In this context, independent representatives means that the members are independent of the beneficiaries. The Board’s duties include ensuring that the company is operated in accordance with its objecti- [ 38 NORSK TIPPING SOCIAL REPORT 2005 ] ves, articles of association, and guidelines. Furthermore, the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs is kept informed about matters of principle crucial to the company’s operations. The Office of the Auditor General and The Norwegian Gaming Board The Office of the Auditor General, which is the Storting’s supervisory authority and holds an independent position relative to other state institutions, audits the company’s accounts. The Norwegian Gaming Board oversees the company’s compliance with relevant legislation and the rules of the games. In connection with the new guidelines for marketing state-controlled money games, the Norwegian Gaming Board has also been tasked with the ongoing assessment of marketing and reports on this to the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs twice a year. Administration and internal control The CEO is responsible for the day-to-day management of the company. The CEO is appointed by the Board, which also sets the CEO’s compensation and other contractual terms, including pension schemes. Norsk Tipping is certified pursuant to the World Lottery Association Security Control Standards. Relationship to other legislation Norsk Tipping is a wholly state-owned corporation. The Norwegian Companies Act does not apply to Norsk Tipping. The company’s Board of Directors has decided that the Accounting Act shall be complied with as long as this is practically possible. The company is subject to the Public Procurement Act. This is an abridged version of the company report concerning corporate governance. The complete report can be found in Norsk Tipping’s annual report for 2005. Our goals for 2006: With all the fun and entertainment associated with money games comes great social responsibility. As is evident from the social report, Norsk Tipping is aware of its responsibility. Our goal for 2006 will be to continue to promote this balance between fun and responsibility: > We will continue to preserve the dream and gaming fun through the renewal and development of our games. > We will further raise our own awareness and that of society-at-large of the necessity of gaming responsibility through our constraints, marketing and information to the players. > We will contribute to the continued growth and development of our retailers and suppliers, but also ensure through information, training and control that the retailers stand on a responsible platform. > We will continue to develop the competence of our managers and coworkers on the basis of solid core values and a sound ethical platform. > We will continue to spread knowledge and information about Norsk Tipping’s role, both in the gaming market and in Norwegian sports and culture. > We will continue to run a competitive enterprise that in turn can create value that benefits Norwegian sports and culture. Design: Dinamo PR • Photos: Tommy Normann Hansen, Ørjan Svendsen Norsk Tipping AS NO – 2325 Hamar, Norge Tel: (+ 47) 62 51 40 00 Fax: (+ 47) 62 52 71 52 Org. no. NO 925 836 613 MVA norsk-tipping.no