In 2025, Denmark's gambling regulator, Spillemyndigheden, ramped up its efforts against unlicensed online gambling, successfully securing court orders that blocked 334 illegal websites targeting Danish consumers. The annual report released this week highlighted the regulator's proactive approach that included searches, data analytics, and public tips to identify these illicit sites.
As a result of collaborative efforts with the Danish Tax Authority's anti-fraud unit, 695 platforms suspected of illegal operations were investigated. Out of these, 334 websites were confirmed by the courts to be offering gambling services without the necessary Danish licenses and were subsequently blocked. Additionally, 36 sites either removed or modified their gambling options after intervention from the regulator.
Spillemyndigheden attributes the increased blocking of websites not to an expansion of the illegal gambling market, but rather to enhanced surveillance efforts. A comprehensive channelisation report is expected to be released in 2026.
The report also assessed the effects of DNS-level blocking on user behavior. Following the blocking of 178 sites in June, web traffic analysis suggested a 34% decrease in visits over the following six months compared to the previous period. However, some blocked sites did not show a measurable decline in traffic, illustrating variability in user response.
In a move to streamline enforcement, Spillemyndigheden improved collaboration with Teleindustrien, the trade association for Danish internet service providers, allowing for dynamic blocking of mirror or "clone" sites without needing new court orders each time. This enforcement initiative coincided with the enactment of the “Spilpakke 1” package, which was passed by a significant majority in parliament in October 2025. This legislation bolstered protections for children and vulnerable players and expanded the authority of Spillemyndigheden, empowering it to block referral and affiliate sites that point Danish users to unlicensed operators, while also broadening prohibitive measures against associated activities.
The new rules included substantial restrictions on gambling advertising, implementing a whistle-to-whistle ban during live sports events that begins 10 minutes before the event and lasts until 10 minutes after it concludes.
The report noted a shift in the marketing of illegal gambling, especially through mobile applications on both iOS and Android platforms, as well as on social media and streaming services. Spillemyndigheden has established formal complaint mechanisms with Apple and Google to expedite the removal of unauthorized apps from Danish app stores. Licensed operators can directly report brand misuse on Meta's platforms, enhancing the speed of content removal.
This realignment in the gambling market highlights a significant digital transition, with online casinos surpassing lotteries to become the largest segment of Denmark's gambling sector in 2025. Online casinos generated the highest gross gaming revenue (GGR) at DKK4.31 billion, representing 38% of the total market, which marks a 12.1% increase from the previous year and a more than twofold growth since 2012.
In 2025, online gambling made up 73% of the overall GGR, a rise from 70% in 2024 and a significant jump from 33% in 2012. Mobile devices emerged as the primary platform for online gambling, accounting for 73% of online revenue in 2025, up from just 27% in 2012.
Regarding land-based gambling, Spillemyndigheden participated in 25 investigations related to the illegal installation or operation of gambling machines and betting terminals during 2025. The market report indicated a 5.6% decline in GGR for land-based casinos, totaling DKK378 million, which represents 3% of the overall gambling market. Notably, newly liberalized land-based bingo made an entry in the market with a GGR of DKK30 million, accounting for less than 1%.
