DENMARK Trends and Developments Contributed by: Nina Henningsen, Mazanti-Andersen
initiatives in relation to marketing and consumer pro- tection are still being processed. Gambling Addiction The Danish Register of Voluntarily Excluded Players ( Register Over Frivilligt Udelukkede Spillere or ROFUS) makes it possible for players to exclude themselves from gambling for varying time periods. In June 2025, the number of people registered with ROFUS reached over 60,000 and almost two thirds have chosen to exclude themselves permanently. The DGA has noted a constant rise in the number of persons registered with ROFUS. In particular, it is younger men who are choosing to exclude themselves from gambling. Men aged 20–29 account for a total of 30% of all those registered with ROFUS, while men under 40 account for a total of 58% of all those registered. Furthermore, gender distribu- tion shows a tendency for men to make up a larger portion of the younger age groups. Of those registered under the age of 20, men account for 96%, which is an over-representation compared to the gender distribu- tion for the total number of registered persons. The DGA has a helpline called StopSpillet (which roughly translates to “Stop the Gambling”), which offers advice and guidance on gambling addiction and responsible gambling to players, relatives and professionals. The helpline is available through both phone and online chat. In 2024, StopSpillet received 544 enquiries. This is a slight increase compared to 2023, when StopSpillet received 520 enquiries. Most of theses enquiries are from gamblers, which was the case for 310 of the enquiries in 2024, corresponding to 58%. Furthermore, the DGA operates the knowledge plat- form StyrPåSpillet.dk (which roughly translates to “Control the Gambling”). StyrPåSpillet focuses specif- ically on children and young people’s relationship with gambling and is aimed at parents and professionals, such as teachers. The website contains all relevant information about gambling and gambling addiction, including articles, studies and teaching materials.
Much of the material deals with gambling addiction: what it is, how it develops and what tools are avail- able to prevent and treat it. There are also articles explaining when gambling is illegal in Denmark and what consumer protection elements must be in place for providers licensed by the DGA. The DGA has a continued focus on prevention and treatment of gambling addiction. In this regard, there is an intention to improve the current treatments for gambling addiction and there is a focus on how to establish funding and how to initiate co-operation with the Danish health authorities. The Gambling Advertising Board The Gambling Advertising Board was established in 2022, at the initiative of several actors in the Danish gambling market. The guiding line in the Gambling Advertising Board’s evaluations is the code of conduct for the gambling industry agreed upon by all actors in the Danish gambling industry in 2018. In July 2024 the Gambling Advertising Board entered into a co-operation agreement with the Danish Con- sumer Ombudsman and the DGA in an attempt to strengthen the overall co-ordinated effort in relation to the regulation of gambling companies’ marketing in Denmark. The Gambling Advertising Board will now forward cases to the Consumer Ombudsman or the DGA, depending on the content of the particular case. The board still holds the authority to handle complaints made regarding violations of the code of conduct, but only if the rules of either the Consumer Ombuds- man or the DGA are not applicable. The Consumer Ombudsman is responsible for consumer protection and companies’ compliance with the Danish Market- ing Act, while the DGA supervises the marketing regu- lations in the Gambling Act. Thus, the Gambling Advertising Board’s scope of work will be significantly reduced with this agreement. All verdicts from the Gambling Advertising Board are published on its website .
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