Denmark Tables Bill for Phased Gambling Reforms Set to Begin January 2027

The Danish government has presented legislation to implement its Spilpakken 1 gambling reforms on a phased schedule running from January to October 2027. A whistle-to-whistle ban on betting advertising during live sports broadcasts will apply from July 2027.

Minister for Taxation and Growth Jakob Engel-Schmidt presented the bill to parliament on 7 October, according to iGaming Business. The package tightens marketing controls, steps up oversight of unlicensed activity, revises land-based rules, and adjusts related taxation.

Core Marketing Curbs and Oversight Measures

The bill bars gambling ads aimed at minors or using anyone under 25. It prohibits marketing in public transport and within 200 metres of schools or youth education sites. Live sports advertising faces a full prohibition spanning ten minutes before kick-off to ten minutes after the event, covering screens, streams, and in-play odds.

These advertising limits are forecast to cost the state DKK15 million ($2.25 million) in 2027 and DKK25 million per year thereafter. The Danish Gambling Authority stands to lose DKK1-2 million in licensing fees. Licence holders must monitor player behaviour in real time and intervene at signs of harm. The Authority receives explicit warrantless inspection powers over suspected illegal operations. Unauthorised gambling and its marketing become criminal offences, with fines scaled to company size and annual gross gaming revenue, plus potential imprisonment of up to one year in serious cases.

Land-Based Changes and Reaction

Land-based retail shifts from the “bestyrer” approval model to new “forhandlere” licences across lotteries, bingo, betting, casino games, and machines. Updated definitions for “spillebutik” and “spillehal” mandate physical separation, staffed premises during opening hours, and a ban on minors. Fast-paced games are confined to 7am-midnight hours. Novel or combined game variants require explicit regulatory approval after review of responsible-gaming effects and market impact.

The bill re-submits the substance of a prior version that lapsed with an election. Morten Rønde, managing partner at Nordic Legal, told iGB he was “shell shocked” at the reforms package, stating there is “no link to any evidence that this is something that will help gambling addiction.” He added it is “still not great where we’ve landed.”

Evidence Gap for Operators

The scheduled rollout gives licensees a concrete compliance window, yet the reforms rest on limited demonstrated causal connection to lower addiction rates. Operators should quantify the revenue drag from the advertising restrictions and calibrate monitoring systems to the new intervention standard before the 2027 deadlines.

Reporting: iGaming Business (iGB)

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