Spillemyndigheden, the Danish gambling authority, has released its latest report on illegal gambling covering 2023. Along with detailed explanations of what constitutes illegal gambling in Denmark, the regulator provides an overview of the efforts completed over the past year to counter the unregulated operations in the country.
In the introductory section of its report, the authority emphasizes its monitoring functions aimed at ensuring robust player protections and a well-regulated market for licensed operators. Spillemyndigheden reports that “it seems that the illegal market is on the rise.” However, it also notes that “the increase is more an expression of the Danish Gambling Authority’s increasing focus on the work with illegal gambling.”
Spillemyndigheden’s report explained when a game is offered in violation of the Gambling Act. The gambling product is illegal when provided without a license and when it is targeted at the Danish market. The regulator further noted that once it became aware of illegal gambling or illegal gambling communication, it requested the website owners to remove the content, which can be either fulfilled or disregarded. In the case of the latter, the regulator is entitled to refer the matter to the Danish internet service providers or report the website owners to the police.
Spillemyndigheden Collaborates with Apple, Facebook, and Google
Among the initiatives described in the “Report on Illegal Gambling 2023” is the partnership formed between the monitoring body and Apple, Facebook, and Google. It enables Spillemyndigheden to directly report illegal gambling content to the companies, which can then be effectively removed. The gambling authority explained that before any gambling content is removed from the said platforms, it has to provide evidence, reference, and assessment, to make sure it is well-grounded.
The regulator added that it aimed to establish collaborations with other online media outlets and encouraged Danish citizens to report suspected illegal gambling operators or illegal communication of gambling.
In the broader international context, the authority has also been active in establishing collaborations in the fight against illegal gambling. As a member of the Gambling Regulators European Forum (GREF), it has shared the common objective of enhancing consumer protection and nurturing a transparent gambling market. In March 2023, it joined the GREF Declaration of gambling regulators to express its concerns regarding illegal operators.
StyrPåSpillet, an educational platform on gambling and problem gambling, is yet another initiative launched by the Danish Gambling Authority. As explained in the report, the platform is aimed at minors, parents, gambling professionals, and everyone wishing to obtain relevant information on gambling, compulsive gambling, and the available tools to prevent and treat it.
Spillemyndigheden Has Blocked 49 Illegal Gambling Websites in 2023
The report provides a breakdown of the number of searches, requests, and blockings over the years, with the results for 2023 totaling 714 searched websites, 179 requests, and 49 blockings. Of all blocked illegal online gambling venues, the authority underlined the removal of stake.com, identified as “one of the largest international gambling operators”.
The Danish Gambling Authority also released data for the period between 2012 and 2023, identifying 8,182 searched websites, 712 requests, and 227 blockings.
Last year’s report further points to 27 illegal websites being reported to the police. They shared a common feature, enabling ROFUS-registered players (the self-exclusion register) to gamble, which is in clear violation of the Gambling Act.
Last but not least, Spillemyndigheden provided data on the channelization rate for the online gambling market or the expression of the share of the legal market. Compared to other European countries, Denmark has a high level of online channelization. In 2021, the figures point to 89.32%, followed by a slight decrease to 89.20% in 2022. In 2023, the rate has increased to 90.15%, as reported by the authority.
