The Danish Gambling Authority (Spillemyndigheden) has secured court approval to block access to 98 websites that offer unlicensed and illegal gambling services to players in Denmark. Among the notable sites impacted is Polymarket, which has faced increased scrutiny in the European market recently.
The Frederiksberg court granted the authority the permission to enforce this block. Prior to this judicial action, the regulator had notified the operators of these websites, giving them a chance to cease their unlicensed operations. Should they fail to comply, Spillemyndigheden has the option to proceed with a DNS block.
These websites were crafted to cater specifically to the Danish market, featuring Danish-language content, utilizing the Danish krone, displaying the Danish flag, providing local payment methods, and offering customer support in Danish. The Danish Gambling Authority emphasized that only licensed operators are authorized to conduct games of chance within Denmark. Licensed entities are required to display their gambling license mark, and customers can verify this by consulting the official list maintained by the authority.
The regulator also warned that these illegal operators might quickly shift to different domains, highlighting the importance for users to confirm the legitimacy of any gambling site they visit. This latest action brings the total number of banned websites in Denmark to 870. While DNS blocking is a significant measure employed to combat illegal gaming, the speed at which operators can transition to new sites poses an ongoing challenge.
The inclusion of Polymarket in this block spotlights the increasing regulatory focus on prediction markets in Europe, particularly in light of Denmark's considerations regarding the provision of gambling opportunities without appropriate authorization.
