The Danish Gambling Authority turns 20 years

New gambling act - new tasks
The Danish Gambling Authority was established on 1 September 2000 as an authority under the Danish Customs and Tax Administration. Today, the Danish Gambling Authority is an independent government agency under the Ministry of Taxation.

The first years, the primary task for the Danish Gambling Authority's approximately 20 employees were to issue licences for and supervise the slot machines in gaming halls and restaurants.

Later, the supervision of Danske Spil A / S and Det Danske Klasselotteri A / S was added to the list of tasks, and in 2011 the Danish Gambling Authority was appointed supervisor of the seven physical casinos in Denmark.

The biggest change in the Danish Gambling Authority's tasks came in 2012, when a new gambling act came into force.

The new law liberalised the Danish gambling market, and thus there was no longer a monopoly on offering betting and online casinos. As a result, the Danish Gambling Authority was also given significantly more tasks, including issuing licenses and supervising the many new online gambling providers that entered the Danish market.

Today, the Danish Gambling Authority counts approximately 120 employees. The majority work from the headquarters in Odense, while a smaller part work from other locations in Copenhagen and in Jutland, where they conduct inspection visits to the country's kiosks, gaming halls, restaurants and casinos.

For the first many years, the Danish Gambling Authority was located in Copenhagen, but in 2016 the Authority's headquarters moved to Odense as part of the government’s relocation plan for government jobs.

From betting slip to online betting
During the last 20 years, The Danish gaming market has undergone a rapid development.

The partial liberalisation made room for new gambling operators who over the years have offered new game types and new ways of gambling. For example, the classic paper coupon for betting on football matches has largely been replaced by apps and online solutions, just as the physical slot machines - the "one-armed bandits" are now also available in a myriad of variants on the Internet.

The digitalisation that has characterised society for the past 20 years is clearly seen in the gambling market, and the Danes' desire to play has largely gone from the "analog" to the digital games.

A responsible gambling market
In connection with the partial liberalisation in 2012, the Danish Gambling Authority established a "Register of Voluntarily Excluded Players" ("ROFUS"). Here, players can exclude themselves from online casino, online betting and physical casinos if the game has taken over. The register currently counts approximately 24,000 people who have been excluded from gambling, either temporarily or permanently.

A political agreement in 2018 meant that in 2019 the Danish Gambling Authority launched “StopSpillet”; a national, impartial guideline on compulsive gambling for gamblers and relatives. Since the opening, more than 1,000 Danes have called for advice and guidance on compulsive gambling.

20 wonderful years
The Danish Gambling Authority still has a few employees who have been with us for 20 years. Acting CEO Jan Madsen has followed the Danish Gambling Authority, ever since it was a small authority with 20 employees, and he was involved in implementing the new gambling act and partial liberalisation.

-I have been on a fantastic journey with the Danish Gambling Authority for the past 20 years, says Jan Madsen. - The gambling market never stands still and is constantly evolving. We have been through many big changes, but it has always been a pleasure to be a part of because of the many skilled employees who have worked and are working with us.

Whatever the future brings, the Danish Gambling Authority will continue to work to ensure a fair and well-regulated Danish gambling market, and I can say on behalf of the Danish Gambling Authority that we look forward to the next 20 years!

Read more about the development of the gaming market on the Danish Gambling Authority's website