Danish Gambling Authority Achieves Success in Blocking 49 Illegal Gambling Websites
The Danish Gambling Authority has secured a significant victory in the district court, resulting in the blocking of 49 websites offering illegal gambling services within Denmark. This marks the ninth instance where the Danish Gambling Authority has sought legal action to block unauthorized gambling platforms.
49 websites banned in Denmark
On July 14, 2023, the Copenhagen City Court ruled in favour of the Danish Gambling Authority across all 49 cases that had been presented. Since the partial liberalization of the gambling market in Denmark in 2012, the authority has been actively combating illegal gambling operations, such as unlicensed betting and online casinos, that target Danish consumers. The successful legal actions have led to the blocking of 276 illegal websites in total since 2012.
Anders Dorph, Director of the Danish Gambling Authority, emphasized the authority’s commitment to preventing illegal gambling activities from reaching Danish citizens, stating “It is a very important task for the Danish Gambling Authority to ensure that Danes are not exposed to gambling that is offered illegally in Denmark and that does not comply with the requirements for consumer protection, among other things, set out in the gambling legislation. At the same time, we must ensure that the gambling operators who have a licence to offer gambling in Denmark can operate on the Danish market without unfair competition from providers who do not have to live up to Danish requirements,”
Customer protection
The Danish Gambling Authority utilizes automated searches and investigates reports from individuals and businesses to identify illegal gambling platforms. If unauthorized websites offering gambling are detected, the authority notifies them of the violation and requests a cessation of illegal activities. In cases where the illicit activities persist, the Danish Gambling Authority seeks court orders to have the offending websites blocked. Internet service providers (ISPs) in Denmark are responsible for implementing these blocks.
The blocked websites predominantly offer traditional casino games like poker, roulette, and gaming machines, as well as betting services. Notably, 13 of the blocked websites are involved in skin betting, a form of gambling that employs virtual items from computer games as deposits or winnings.
It’s worth noting that offering gambling services in Denmark without a license from the Danish Gambling Authority is prohibited. This prohibition extends to foreign operators targeting the Danish market. To determine if a game or gambling operation is aimed at Denmark, factors like the presence of the Danish language, currency, local payment options, and customer service are considered. Additionally, all licensed gambling operators in Denmark are required to prominently display the Danish Gambling Authority’s label on their websites and marketing materials to enable players to easily identify licensed and authorized platforms.
