DENMARK Law and Practice Contributed by: Nina Henningsen, Mazanti-Andersen
1. Introduction 1.1 Current Outlook and Recent Changes The primary legislation regulating gambling activities in Denmark is the Danish Act on Gambling (the “Gam- bling Act”). The Gambling Act is supplemented by a series of specific executive orders, for further discus- sion of which, see 3.1 Key Legislation . In recent years, Danish gaming legislation has under- gone several amendments, with a strong focus on strengthening consumer protection – particularly for vulnerable groups such as young people. A major legislative change came into force on 1 July 2024, significantly expanding the Danish Gambling Authority (DGA)’s powers to address breaches of the Gambling Act and related executive orders. The amendment also introduced a new requirement for B2B licences, effective from 1 January 2025. Through the B2B licensing system, the DGA can now hold technical suppliers accountable for ensuring fair gam- bling practices and compliance with statutory control measures. In addition, new rules for charitable lotteries and expanded opportunities for bingo in the liberalised market were adopted at the end of 2024. Effective 1 January 2025, the law introduced a graduated system for charitable lotteries – smaller lotteries with annual sales under DKK15,000 can be organised without a licence, while larger lotteries are subject to increasing regulatory requirements depending on turnover. The purpose of these changes is to reduce the adminis- trative burden on associations and volunteers, while modernising the rules to better support local com- munity activities. Finally, the DGA continues to break records in ISP blocks against unlicensed operators. In June 2025, a total of 178 websites were blocked – the highest number in a single case since 2012.
2. Jurisdictional Overview 2.1 Online Gambling Betting
Betting on sports and horse racing is permitted in Denmark, subject to specific licence requirements. The same applies to fantasy betting (payment to back a “league” or “portfolio” selection over a period of time; eg, in relation to sport or shares). Bingo, Casino Gaming and Poker Online bingo, casino gaming and poker are permitted in Denmark upon specific licence requirements. Lottery The Danish gambling market is only partly liberalised, and thus the provision of lotteries is kept under a monopoly. This monopoly is run by the Danish state- owned entity Danske Spil . Therefore, it is not possible for anyone else to obtain a licence to provide a com- mercial lottery in Denmark. However, it is possible to obtain a licence for non-profit lotteries. Social/Skill Games Social games that are provided for free (ie, where no stake or payment is needed to participate) can be arranged without a licence. “Skill games” with no element of chance are permit- ted under Danish law and can be arranged without a licence. However, depending on the circumstances, these types of games can also be regulated by the Danish Marketing Practices Act and be under the supervision of the Danish Consumer Ombudsman. 2.2 Land-Based Gambling All of the games mentioned in 2.1 Online Gambling are also permitted as land-based games, conditional upon a licence. However, special conditions apply for bingo and charity lotteries. With regard to physical gaming machines, these are also permitted in Den- mark, although they need to fulfil certain technical requirements as well as be licensed.
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