Danish Gambling Authority

Danish Gambling Authority was founded in 2000 under the Ministry of Taxation as an organization providing executive power in gambling. In the first years of its existence, the regulator was mainly engaged in supervisory functions and inspected several land-based casinos in Denmark. A number of licenses for lotteries were also issued. However, after the 2012 changes to the "law on gambling," everything has changed dramatically.

Previously, only a few persons could open a casino or a betting shop under certain conditions (there was a state monopoly), but after the changes, anyone can fill out an application for a gambling license and provide access to gambling. Since January 1, 2013, the organization has become independent and reports to the head.

Regulator licensed casinos

The section "license holders" contains a full list of online casinos and bookmakers with gambling licenses in Denmark. Each operator's name and official Internet address are indicated. Among the most famous online casinos with Danish licenses are 888, Betfair, Betway, Betsson, Unibet, and others.

Danish Gambling Authority review

Several factors caused the emergence of a regulator in the Danish gambling industry. Previously, there was a state monopoly in this area, expressed in the activities of Danske Spil.

Just to open a casino on the territory of the state, foreign companies were required to have residents of the country among the founders.

In 2003, at the time of the active development of online gambling, measures were taken to ban online casinos in Denmark. For greater effect, banks were forbidden to carry out financial transactions on the cards of citizens committed to paying for online casinos. However, these tough measures have caused a number of criticisms from the European Union's gambling organizations. In view of this, in 2010, amendments to the current "law on gambling" began to develop, which was adopted in 2012.

The most significant aspect of the changes was the abolition of the state monopoly on gambling, although not all types. The state has reserved the right to organize lotteries, bingo, and horse racing bets. The gambling organization in Denmark (including the Internet) began to allow foreign companies to participate. In 2014, new legislative acts were adopted, fixing the monthly payments of operators at 20% of income in favor of the state. A system of mandatory certification has been introduced.

In 2018, with the advent of social games, various loot boxes (players buy a box with real money and can win some extra equipment in games) became very common in CSGO. The organization has taken several measures and legally recognized such purchases as gambling, which led to the blocking of many Internet portals offering this service.

Danish Gambling Authority is constantly developing and exchanging experiences with other regulators, currently concluded cooperation with Alderney, France, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Malta, and the UK.

In addition, the regulator cooperates with other authorities, such as the Office of Financial Supervision, on money laundering issues. It also acts as the initiator; for example, Casinoz already wrote about one initiative of this management.

The regulator takes a very responsible approach to social responsibility for the dangers of gambling. A ROFUS system has been developed and introduced, allowing players to enter their details, permanently banning visiting land-based casinos for a certain time. That is, players simply will not be permitted to gamble. Also, on the website of the Danish Gambling Authority, there is a large amount of information on where to go if you need help in the fight against gambling addiction.

License types of Danish Gambling Authority

Obtaining gambling licenses in Denmark is organized as transparently as possible. The organization's official website provides detailed information, a list of necessary documents, and all documentation. The cost parameters and the sum of fees are also specified.

Currently, the regulator issues licenses for the following types of gambling:

• Lottery licenses are issued only to monopolists of this activity (Danske Lotteri Spil, Det Danske Klasselotteri, Almindeligt Dansk Vareg Industrilotteri (Varelotteriet), Landbrugpokieteriet), except in cases suitable for licensing other types of lotteries held in online and land-based casinos etc.
• An online casinolicense is issued for five years. 
• Land-based casino license is issued for ten years.
• Pokie machine halls—A maximum of three pokie machines are allowed in bars and other establishments licensed for alcohol. In other establishments, a larger number of devices are permitted. The fee for one pokie is approximately 100 Euros, plus a license fee.
• The sports betting license is valid for up to five years and applies to all types of sports betting.
• Pokerlicense includes all types of real-money poker, including online casino games and public tournaments are licensed. It is also necessary to comply with a number of regulatory requirements and rules for holding public tournaments. In some cases, it is allowed to hold tournament competitions without a license.
• Limited licenses are a variation of licenses for casinos and bookmakers whose gross income does not exceed (the number of bets minus the players' winnings)  350,000 Euros per month. This type of license is issued for one year.

To obtain a gambling license for an online casino, the operator must fill out a number of documents and pay a fee of about 41,000 USD. In addition, if the operator wishes to open sports betting, the fee is increased to 58,500 USD. Anyone can apply, even a foreign person, but in this case, a Danish representative is necessary.

In addition to the current license, an operator must be certified (a special Decemberis required to ensure greater reliability and integrity of the games offered by the operator).

Dispute resolution

On the official website of the organization, there is a special section where detailed guidance is indicated for players wishing to file a complaint against the casino.

According to the licensing rules, players must initially try to settle the dispute with the operator; the operator has 14 days to respond. Suppose the answer is not received, or the result is not satisfactory with the customer institution. In that case, he can file a complaint against the operator in the "Consumer Complaints Council of Denmark," "Danish Consumer Complaints Council," or the court.

It should be noted that in each Department of complaints, you can get legal advice. Interestingly, the gambling authority is not involved in dispute resolution.

Conclusion

The Danish Gambling Authority is quite a serious and respected regulator in Europe. It is one of the few organizations that officially States that it takes responsibility for organizing a well-regulated and fair gambling market.