Significant Contribution to the Danish Economy
Each year, the Danish state receives DKK 2.6 billion in gambling duties. Additionally, the gambling industry contributes significant sums of money to Danish media and sports clubs through advertising and sponsorships.
The gambling market demonstrates how fair regulation ensures that international operators pay taxes in Denmark, while local players choose lawful providers under a Danish license.
Since liberalization in 2012, the market for betting and online casinos has grown from DKK 2.0 billion to DKK 5.7 billion in 2024. This growth primarily reflects the success in steering Danish gambling away from illegal operators and toward regulated providers with a Danish license. The market has not exploded, as some claim – an analysis shows that the growth corresponds to the increase in consumer prices in Denmark.
Positive Market Development
Today, the Danish state’s revenue from betting and online casinos exceeds one billion DKK annually. The rising gross income from the license-based regulated market indicates that more people gamble online than on physical slot machines and casinos. This not only reflects changing consumer habits but also successful regulation that ensures players opt for legal Danish providers instead of the black market.
Denmark holds one of the world’s highest channelization rates, where most gambling takes place with licensed operators. This results in stronger consumer protection, responsible gambling, and secure tax income for the state. At the same time, regulation supports a sustainable gambling sector with strict demands on providers.
The Danish model shows that well-regulated markets can effectively balance oversight, player protection, and a healthy business environment.
High Consumer Protection
Denmark offers one of the highest levels of player protection worldwide. The state-operated self-exclusion system, ROFUS, which all online gambling operators must check before granting a player access, ensures that individuals with gambling addictions cannot play on providers holding a Danish license.
Operators must also continuously monitor player spending to detect problem gambling at an early stage. Combined with a wide range of protection tools, this ensures that Danish players receive significantly greater protection and security than those using non-Danish licensed operators.
New technology and research are constantly being tested and implemented on gambling sites, with the hope of ultimately reducing the number of gambling addicts in Denmark.
Games should be fun – and under orderly conditions
When Danes want to place a bet on a football match or gamble on a slot machine online, they can do so at gambling companies with a Danish license – under orderly Danish conditions. Today more than 91% of all games on the internet take place at gambling companies with a Danish license. It is a Nordic record.
