Denmark

The danish gambling commission is the government agency that is responsible for regulating gambling within the country. They issue licenses to operators and also work to monitor and enforce compliance with danish gambling laws. The commission was established in 2005 and has been working hard to ensure that both residents of denmark and tourists can enjoy playing games at any of the many casinos throughout the country. It’s worth noting that the danish gambling license is a local one, which means that holders can only operate in the local casino market. If a casino wants to offer its products worldwide, it would need to get an international gambling license.

Gambling history in Denmark

Gambling in denmark started to become popular in the early 1800s. Multiple casinos began popping up in copenhagen and other cities around the country. Casino marienlyst, located in helsingor, is one of the oldest gambling establishments in denmark. It first opened its doors in 1902. Since 1948, state-owned company danske spil has had the exclusive right to provide gambling services within denmark. In 2000, the danish gambling authority (dga), or spillemyndigheden, was established. For the first decade of its existence, the authority regulated slot gaming in restaurants and arcades, as well as operations of the state monopoly and seven terrestrial casinos. The authority also used to issue permits for charity lotteries.

The 2012 danish gambling act liberalized the gambling industry in denmark, opening up the market to foreign operators and forcing the former monopolist danske spil to compete with private companies from overseas. Danske spil still holds a monopoly on commercial lottery games. The 2012 gambling act also legalized online casinos in denmark, launching a new market that dominates the gambling industry currently. In the first year after the liberalization of gambling, 25 offshore companies obtained a danish license. The 2018 amendment to the gambling act further liberalized the danish market, allowing private companies to organize betting on horse, dog, and pigeon racing, and online bingo.

Requirements for gaining a licence

You have to pay an application fee and provide the necessary documents to apply for a danish license. The gambling software must be tested as well, with the main requirement being that it has rng (random number generation) functionality tested. To make the business safe and fair, you must set up a danish bank account and provide a background check. The danish authorities have a special focus on communication and player protection, which is why they resolve disputes between players and casinos in an open way. Moreover, spillemyndigheden protects people below the age of 18, as well as every player from malicious gamblers. Thus, the danish gaming industry has its peculiarities which you have to take into account when running business in this country.

Slot Halls

Gaming machines that offer cash prizes can be installed and operated in gaming machine arcades (slot halls) and in restaurants that have a license to serve alcoholic beverages. A license prohibits more than three gaming machines from being installed in restaurants. In slot halls, no other gambling activities may be provided and no other business activities may be carried out except for gambling on gaming machines. Gaming machines that don’t offer cash prizes can’t be installed in slot halls. Selling sweets, snacks, and beverages (except for strong drinks) is allowed. People under 18 are not permitted to enter slot halls or play on gaming machines in restaurants. Slot halls must be staffed during their opening hours. Using pyramid schemes to operate slots is strictly prohibited.

Online Gambling

Since 2012, online casinos have been allowed in denmark and are licensed by the danish gambling authority. This includes games of roulette, blackjack, baccarat, punto banco, poker, online bingo, and prize-winning slots. Online casinos may also apply for licenses for other types of gambling activities, such as lottery games and sports-betting. All websites of danish certified online casinos have.dk (the national top-level domain) as part of their names.

Summary

The danish gambling authority is a gaming regulator which does a good job of balancing fees for operators (which generates revenue for the state budget) with protecting gamblers. This is done through initiatives like rofus and legislation, which ensure that casinos are transparent and fair in their daily services for players. By having a relaxed policy about how they license and regulate operators in the country, the danish ga has managed to increase interest in the gambling business. Consequently, the danish market is currently booming. By finding the right balance between making money from online gambling and protecting consumers’ interests, denmark has become a key gambling market that many companies are trying to enter.