Gamble responsibly

What can you expect from those who sell gambling products?

Danish gambling legislation must, among other things, ensure that all gambling products are offered in a responsible manner.

This means, for example, that gambling operators have a duty to ensure that children and young people under the age of 18 cannot gamble with them. This does not apply to monopoly lotteries (16+) and charity lotteries.
 

Responsible gambling

When gambling, you may come across the term 'Responsible Gambling'. The term covers some special rules for the gambling operator that are intended to protect customers when they gamble. 

For several types of games, the rules mean, for example:

• You must set a limit on how much you can deposit into your gambling account (deposit limit)
• You can temporarily exclude yourself from the gambling operator's games (self-exclusion) or close your account and have your money withdrawn.
• You can get an overview of your gambling history (stakes and winnings) in your gambling account for at least 90 days.

The rules on responsible gambling are intended to prevent you from developing problems with gambling and therefore the gambling operator is required to:

• Ensure that you are informed about where you can get help if you have problems with gambling when you gamble (e.g. website, kiosk, app, casino, arcade).
• Pay attention to your gambling pattern and monitor whether it changes. 
• Respond if they see signs of problems, for example by contacting you and asking about your spending of money and time.

You may therefore experience that the gambling operator contacts you to make sure that you are OK with your gambling.

Rules only work if they are complied with, and therefore the Danish Gambling Authority supervises that the gambling operators meet their obligations.

If you want to be sure that you are gambling at a gambling operator that the Danish Gambling Authority supervises, you should only gamble where you can see the Danish Gambling Authority's label.

If you would like to know more about the requirements for gambling operators, you can find more information in the executive orders for the various gambling areas and in the legal guidance on gambling.  

Advice for gamblers 

The rules on 'Responsible Gaming' apply to the gambling operators, but there are also precautions you can take yourself to ensure that the game remains entertaining and does not cause any worries. 

The Danish Gambling Authority has developed some advice that can help you maintain the right balance when playing:  

Advice No. 1: Gambling is an entertainment product 

Gambling is not a way to make money - over time, it is always those who gamble who lose - and the gambling operator who wins. 
All gambling is based on chance, and sometimes that means you win money on the gambling product you buy. 

This chance provides excitement and entertainment.

Advice No. 2: Understand the gambling product you are buying

There are several different types of gambling, all of which provide profits to the gambling operator in the long run because you lose.

It's good to understand how the gambling operator makes money from the gambling product you want to use before you buy it.

Advice No. 3: Set limits for your gambling  

Before you start gambling, it's a good idea to decide: 

• which gambling products you want to use
• how much money you want to lose at most
• when you want to stop at the latest.

Keep the agreement you made with yourself!

The law requires that you always set a deposit limit at online casinos and betting. The limit should help you keep control over your spending.

Some gambling operators allow you to set additional limits for your gambling, such as time spent and game types, but they only work if you activate them. Investigate what tools the gambling operator has.

If you have multiple gambling accounts, please note that deposit limits only apply to the individual gambling operator. Therefore, you should set your deposit limits so that the sum of them matches your desired total limit. Alternatively, you must keep careful records of your gambling across the gambling operators so that your spending does not exceed your desired total limit.

Advice No. 4: Take breaks from gambling

Gambling is an entertainment product that can get you hooked on, taking up a lot of your time and thoughts.

Breaks from gambling help maintain a good balance between time for entertainment and time for other obligations and activities, such as socialising with family and friends, education, work and leisure activities.

You can use self-exclusion tools to help you pause your gambling. 

You can exclude yourself from several gambling operators with a Danish licence at once by registering in ROFUS, which is administered by the Danish Gambling Authority.

Advice No. 5: Never gamble to win back lost money. 

When you lose money in gambling, you might think that you can win it back by gambling more. 

All games are independent - what happened in the last game has no bearing on what happens in the next. When you have just lost, you therefore have no greater chance of winning in the next game. 

If you keep playing to win back the money you lost, you will probably end up losing more money.

Advice No. 6: Don't gamble if you are drunk.

If you are under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicants, your judgment is impaired and it becomes more difficult to adhere to your limits.

Advice No. 7: Do not gamble with borrowed money and only gamble with amounts you can afford to lose

Gambling can result in financial problems and debt.

Don't gamble with money that you need to pay for food, rent, and other expenses. Don't borrow money to gamble with, because you'll probably lose it.

If you don't have any more money to gamble for, then it's time to stop.

Advice No. 8: Don't gamble to solve problems

If you are depressed, stressed, or have other challenges, gambling cannot solve your problems.

Advice No. 9: Talk about your gambling and get help

Anyone can have worries or problems due to gambling, but it helps to talk to others about it, such as family or friends.

If you are concerned about someone who is gambling, you can also use StopSpillet.

StopSpillet offers conversations both by phone and live chat.

Call +45 70 22 28 25

You can check your gambling habits with the Danish Gambling Authority's self-test. The test is anonymous and free. 

When you seek help early, problems have less time to grow. 

Free treatment for gambling addiction (compulsive gambling)

There are 13 free treatment centers in Denmark, several of which also offer online treatment.

Read more about the treatment sites and apply for free treatment