DENMARK Trends and Developments Contributed by: Nina Henningsen, Mazanti-Andersen
The Current State of the Danish Gambling Market The Danish gambling market was liberalised in 2012 and the monopoly on betting and online casinos was lifted. This has shaped trends and developments in the Danish gambling market significantly. Overall, spending in the Danish gambling market has increased. Figures from the Danish Gambling Author- ity (DGA) show that Danish gross gaming revenue (GGR) increased by 21.3% from 2012 to 2024. How- ever, the average amount a Danish person spends on gambling annually was only up by 10.3% from 2012 to 2024. This is primarily explained by an increase in population. Although Danes have increased their yearly spending on gambling per person since 2012, they have a slightly lower yearly average spending on gambling per person compared to the other Nor- dic countries. Overall, Denmark ranks 12th in Europe when it comes to average annual spending on gam- bling per person. The most significant change brought about by the lib- eralisation of the Danish gambling market in 2012 is the fact that most betting and the majority of online casino use now happens on sites with a Danish licence. In 2011, before the liberalisation of the Dan- ish gambling market, only around 40% of online gam- bling happened on sites managed by operators with a Danish licence. In 2012, just after the liberalisation of the Danish gambling market, this jumped to 69%, and in 2024 it reached 91.5%. In comparison with other European countries, the percentage of Danish online gambling taking place on regulated websites is among the highest. While the total number of licences for betting and online casinos has been fairly consistent over the years (approximately 60 licences), the holders of the licences have changed over time. This is a sign of both a continued interest in providing betting and online casino services to Danish players, but also of ongoing competition between the different gambling operators in the Danish gambling market. In total, 967 licences were granted for the provision of gambling in Denmark in 2024, the majority of which were licences for the installation of gaming machines
(289 licences) and licences for non-profit lotteries (601 licences). The statistics on the Danish gambling market show a clear trend towards progressively more gambling hap- pening online. In 2012 only a third of the Danish GGR came from online gambling. In 2017 the ratio of the Danish GGR coming from land-based and online gam- bling was almost 1:1, whereas today there is a sig- nificant difference between the two. In 2024, 68% of Danish GGR came from online gambling. As a result, in 2024 the Danish gambling market ranked fourth in Europe measured on GGR coming from online gam- bling. In line with the fact that the majority of gambling takes place online, it can also be noted that there has recently been an increase in the proportion of gam- bling that takes place on the grey market. Finally, it should be noted that a broad political agree- ment was concluded in the Danish parliament on 24 October 2025 to strengthen player protection, tighten marketing rules, and enhance gambling supervision. Danish politicians have therefore initiated negotia- tions about further and more updated regulation of the Danish gambling market with the aim of introduc- ing a range of initiatives to ensure a more responsible industry. These include clearer requirements, regula- tions and supervisory tools for operators; measures to protect players, promote responsible gambling, and improve prevention and treatment of gambling addiction; as well as restrictions or removals of cer- tain types of marketing products. Consequently, fur- ther changes to the Danish gambling regulations are expected in the coming year. Illegal Gambling According to the DGA, the illegal gambling market is still considered to constitute only a limited part of the Danish gambling market. It is, however, an area on which the DGA continues to increase its focus. In 2022 the DGA, together with the Danish Tax Agency, carried out several investigations of websites poten- tially providing illegal gambling. This led to the block- ing of several websites, and in June 2025, a total of 178 websites providing illegal gambling were blocked
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