10 years with online gambling in Denmark: Most Danes gamble on sites with a Danish licence
28, Sep 2022
Since 1 January 2012, Danes have had the option to bet and play online casino with several operators. Previously, these types of games were subject to monopoly, but 10 years ago they were liberalised. Since then, Danes' gambling spend has increased, but data also shows that Danes gamble with operators with a Danish licence to a much greater extent. This ensures a high degree of consumer protection and at the same time taxes are paid to the Danish state.
With the liberalisation of the gambling market in 2012, it became possible for private operators to apply for a licence from the Danish Gambling Authority and offer gambling products in Denmark. Data from the Danish Gambling Authority shows that Danes' gambling spend has increased over the past 10 years, but in the same period the vast majority of Danes' gambling spend has moved to gambling sites with a Danish licence.
Danes' gambling spend is increasing
The trend in Danes' gambling over the past 10 years shows a clear increase in spending on betting and online casino, which are precisely the two sectors that were liberalised 10 years ago. For example, from 2012 to 2021, the gambling spend at online casinos increased from DKK 1.6 billion to DKK 3.3 billion, and it is thus the gambling sector in Denmark that has grown the most since 2012. In the same period, the gambling spend on betting increased by 53 per cent, while gambling on physical gaming machines, on the other hand, fell by 59 per cent in the period.
Over the course of the 10 years, the total gambling market has increased from DKK 9.0 billion to DKK 10.3 billion, which corresponds to just over 7 per cent. Breaking the increase down per Dane per year it shows that each adult Dane has gone from spending an average of DKK 2,060 in 2012 to just under DKK 2,210 in 2021. In the same period, however, Danes have also become wealthier. The gambling spend therefore accounts for approximately the same share of the Danish economy today as before liberalisation.
The gambling spend has moved to sites with a Danish licence
The purpose of the liberalisation of betting and online casino was, among other things, to move the spending on online gambling to websites with a Danish licence that follow Danish gambling legislation.
"One of the most important reasons for the partial liberalisation of the Danish gambling market 10 years ago was that the Danes wanted to gamble on a wider range of games, and therefore demanded games from private gambling operators who offered online games," says Anders Dorph, director of the Danish Gambling Authority. "These providers were not subject to Danish regulations and therefore did not pay gambling taxes to the state. It also meant that they did not have to comply with the Danish rules on consumer protection and responsible gambling.”
In 2011, only around 40 per cent of Danish online gambling took place with operators with a licence in Denmark. This figure has risen steadily since the liberalisation, and in 2021 over 90 per cent of Danes' online gambling took place on websites with a Danish licence. In 2021, there were a total of 57 licences issued by the Danish Gambling Authority to offer betting and online casino.
"It clearly shows that the mission has been successful", says Anders Dorph. "At the Danish Gambling Authority, we are very happy that Danes prefer gambling sites with a Danish licence. It is operators that we supervise and we check whether they comply with the applicable legislation," says Anders Dorph and adds: "We are proud that Denmark is one of the countries with the highest share of online gambling with licensed operators. In Europe, we have been surpassed by only a few countries.”
See the fact sheet about Danes' gambling spend over the past 10 years:
10 years with a liberalised market: Danes prefer gambling websites with a Danish licence (September 2022)
In 2012, betting and online casino were liberalised in Denmark. Data from the Danish Gambling Authority shows that an increasing share of online gambling in Denmark takes place on licensed websites. In fact, the share is among the highest in Europe.
10 years with a liberalised market: Danes’ gambling spend has increased (September 2022)
Danes’ average gambling spend has increased by about 7 percent since the liberalisation of the gambling market in 2012. The increase is especially due to the higher spending on betting and online casino. Since 2012, the Danes have become wealthier and thus, their gambling spend account for about the same share of the Danish economy as before the liberalisation.