In 2025, online casinos officially surpassed lotteries to become the largest segment of the Danish gambling market, reveals the Danish Gambling Authority (Spillemyndigheden) in its latest annual review, Spilmarkedet i tal 2025, published recently. This marks the first significant shift since the partial liberalization of Denmark’s gambling market in 2012.
The report adjusted gross gambling revenue figures to 2026 price levels and aligned them with the country's GDP measures, creating discrepancies when compared to previous reports. Spillemyndigheden noted that the publication of the updated channelization report would be deferred until later in 2026 due to the need for additional data verification, which also resulted in the exclusion of estimates regarding unlicensed online market activity from the report.
In terms of overall gambling revenue, the total gross amount for 2025 was DKK11.5 billion ($1.75 billion), reflecting a slight decline of 1% (DKK116 million) compared to 2024. After adjusting for inflation and economic growth to align with 2026 parameters, total revenue stood 4.9% below the 2012 baseline.
Online casinos led the sector with a gross gambling revenue (GGR) of DKK4.31 billion, capturing 38% of the market. This represented a 12.1% increase (DKK465 million) year-on-year and a remarkable 139% rise since 2012. In contrast, monopoly lotteries, including Lotto, Klasselotterier, and scratch tickets, generated DKK3.49 billion, making up 30% of the market, a decline of 6.2% (DKK230 million) from the previous year.
Sports betting also faced challenges, declining 11.5% (DKK277 million) to a GGR of DKK2.13 billion, or 19% of the market share. Slot machines accounted for DKK1.18 billion (10% of the total revenue), down 6.8% (DKK86 million) year-on-year. Meanwhile, land-based casinos saw a 5.6% decrease, with a GGR of DKK378 million, representing 3% of the market. Newly liberalized land-based bingo debuted with a modest GGR of DKK30 million, less than 1% of the total.
Online gambling continues to dominate, making up 73% of the total GGR, an increase from 70% in 2024, and a significant rise from just 33% in 2012. Mobile devices were the preferred platform, accounting for 73% of online gambling revenue in 2025, compared to 27% in 2012. For online casinos specifically, 69% of revenue came from mobile. Online slots led this segment with 82% of online casino GGR, totaling DKK3.54 billion, while roulette and blackjack contributed approximately 6% each with DKK246 million and DKK267 million, respectively.
The iGaming sector in Denmark continued to grow, with Digitain announcing its entry into the market in May 2025. Arshak Muradyan, the group chief compliance officer at Digitain, noted, "Denmark is recognised for its strong compliance standards and mature gaming ecosystem, making this achievement particularly significant for our continued European growth strategy."
As of the end of 2025, Spillemyndigheden had issued 1,970 licenses across various gambling categories, including 41 licenses for online casinos (three of which were temporary, revenue-limited permits capped at DKK1 million GGR) and 27 betting licenses (two were revenue-limited). Additionally, about 277 permits for physical slot machine operations were granted, authorizing a total of 23,172 machines across the country. There were also 12 land-based bingo licenses issued following market liberalization on January 1, 2025. Exclusive rights to major commercial lotteries remain with four monopoly holders.
The report pointed out disparities among operators: while many reported GGR below DKK25 million, several prominent companies exceeded DKK100 million in revenue each. Concerns over responsible gambling remained prominent in 2025, with the voluntary exclusion register (ROFUS) growing to 68,026 individuals, an increase of roughly 12,000 from late 2024. The majority of registrants were men (79%), with 69% under 40 years old.
The helpline StopSpillet received a record 727 inquiries in 2025, the highest since its establishment in 2019. Of those, 57% were from players and 40% from their relatives, with 45% of player callers indicating they began gambling before reaching 18. Problem gambling was most frequently linked to online casino play (62%) and online betting (22%), with the average severity score of 5.61 on a 0-9 scale, indicating moderate to severe problems.
In terms of market dynamics, lottery revenue dropped from DKK4.83 billion in 2012 to DKK3.49 billion in 2025, a decline of 27.7%. Sports betting peaked in 2018, with 2025 revenues still 7.6% above 2012 levels but down in recent years. Average betting payout rates were 89.7% in 2025. The physical gambling sector continues to see a contraction; revenue from slot machines has plummeted by about 60.5% since 2012, while land-based casino revenue declined roughly 35%, heavily impacted by pandemic-related closures between 2020 and 2022.
