The Danish Gambling Authority Blocks 49 Illegal Websites

On 14 July 2023, the Copenhagen City Court ruled in favour of the Danish Gambling Authority in all 49 cases that had been notified. The Danish Gambling Authority has had illegal websites blocked, which offer gambling such as betting and online casino to Danes without a licence since 2012, when the gambling market in Denmark was partially liberalised. In total, 276 illegal sites have been blocked since 2012.

“It is a very important task for the Danish Gambling Authority to ensure that Danes are not exposed to gambling that is offered illegally in Denmark and that does not comply with the requirements for consumer protection, among other things, set out in the gambling legislation. At the same time, we must ensure that the gambling operators who have a licence to offer gambling in Denmark can operate on the Danish market without unfair competition from providers who do not have to live up to Danish requirements,” says Director of the Danish Gambling Authority, Anders Dorph.

For the first time, the Danish Gambling Authority expects to block illegal websites twice a year. Previously, the blockages have occurred annually.

“We are constantly trying to optimise our efforts against illegal gambling, and one of our latest initiatives is, among other things, to block illegal websites more often than before. This means that the illegal sites are active in Denmark for a shorter period of time, because the sites will be blocked sooner after we have identified them,” explains Anders Dorph.

The Danish Gambling Authority constantly monitors the gambling market to detect illegal gambling. Specifically, the Danish Gambling Authority uses automated searches, but also follows up on reports from individuals and businesses.

If the Danish Gambling Authority discovers sites offering illegal gambling, the Danish Gambling Authority makes them aware of the violation and asks them to stop the illegal offer. If the illegal offer does not stop, the Danish Gambling Authority will ask the district court to have the illegal sites blocked. In practical terms, it is the Danish ISPs that must implement the blocking of the illegal gambling sites.

The blocked websites mainly offer traditional casino games such as roulette, gaming machines and poker, as well as betting. 13 of the websites are so-called skin betting websites. Skin betting covers betting, casino games and lotteries where the deposit and/or winnings are a skin, which is a virtual item in computer games.

When is gambling illegal in Denmark?

It is illegal to offer gambling in Denmark without a licence from the Danish Gambling Authority. The same applies if a foreign operator targets the Danish market.

A game is considered aimed at Denmark if one or more of the following elements are present:

• Danish language
• Danish currency
• Payment cards that only work in Denmark
• Danish customer service
• Multi-game digital distribution platform (Steam Connectivity Platform)
• The game offer has a composition that makes it aimed at Danish players. For example, by offering bets on lower-tier sporting events.

It is also contrary to the Danish Gambling Act to disseminate to or advertise unlicensed gambling operators.

All gambling operators with a Danish licence must have the Danish Gambling Authority’s label placed visibly on their website and all marketing material. In this way, players can easily check that a site is licensed to offer gambling activities and services in Denmark.

See the list of blocked websites on Spillemyndigheden.dk.

SOURCE: Spillemyndigheden.dk.