The Danish Gambling Authority has provided a comprehensive overview of its ongoing battle against illegal gambling. The report, released this week explores the specifics of what constitutes legal gambling in Denmark and sheds light on the various initiatives undertaken in 2023 to curb illegal gambling activities.

A key highlight of the report is the strategic collaboration formed by the Danish Gambling Authority with tech giants Apple, Facebook, and Google. This partnership empowers the authority to directly report any illegal gambling content found in apps to these companies, who can then promptly remove such content. This proactive measure ensures that Danish citizens are not exposed to illegal gambling content in the future, thereby safeguarding their interests and upholding the integrity of the gambling industry in Denmark.

Denmark’s online gambling habits

The Danish Gambling Authority, in collaboration with Statistics Denmark, conducted a survey in 2022-2023. The study focused on Danes’ online gambling habits, particularly their habits on sites without a Danish gambling license. This was the first study of its kind in Denmark. The study found that 21.7 percent of Danes aged 15 and over gambled online in the past year, which corresponds to approximately 1,082,000 people. Among young people aged 15-17, 15 percent gambled online in the past year, corresponding to 32,000 people. The Authority also released key figures on Danes’ gambling spend for the last two months of 2022. The data showed significant changes in percent from 2021 to 2022, partly due to Covid-19 lockdowns of land-based casinos and gambling arcades in December 2021 in Denmark. The Danish Gambling Authority continues to monitor and analyse the Danes’ gambling spend to stay at the forefront of the latest trends and knowledge about the gambling market. The authority’s efforts to regulate the market and protect consumers seem to be succeeding, as shown by the decreasing number of players gambling on unlicensed sites.

The shift towards licensed gambling sites marks a positive stride for the Danish gambling market, ensuring player protection and bolstering the local economy. The ongoing regulatory initiatives by the Danish Gambling Authority play a pivotal role in sustaining this momentum. Statistics reveal that a majority of Danish players now prefer licensed platforms sanctioned by the authority, underscoring the success of Denmark’s 2012 liberalization of betting and online casinos. Prior to this, a significant portion of online gambling occurred on unlicensed platforms, prompting the need for regulation to safeguard consumers. Today, the overwhelming majority of players engage with Danish-licensed sites, with only 3.8 percent opting for unlicensed alternatives. Nonetheless, 8.6 percent of surveyed players expressed uncertainty regarding the licensing status of the platforms they used.

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