Danish Gambling Authority blocks 49 illegal websites operating without a license

The Danish Gambling Authority announced Monday that it has been successful in the district court to have 49 websites offering illegal gambling in Denmark blocked. This is the ninth time that the regulator has gone to court to block illegal websites.

The authority noted that on July 14th, 2023, the Copenhagen City Court ruled in its favor in all 49 cases that had been notified. The illegal websites blocked offered gambling such as betting and online casinos to Danes without a license since 2012, when the gambling market in Denmark was partially liberalized. In total, 276 illegal sites have been blocked since 2012. 

The Director of the Danish Gambling Authority, Anders Dorph, said: "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 license 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.”  

The Danish Gambling Authority says that it expects to block illegal websites twice a year for the first time. Previously, the blockages have occurred annually.  

"We are constantly trying to optimize our efforts against illegal gambling, and one of our latest initiatives is, among other things, to block illegal websites more often than before. This means that the illegal sites are active in Denmark for a shorter period of time because the sites will be blocked sooner after we have identified them," explained Dorph.  

The authority notes that it constantly monitors the gambling market to detect illegal gambling. Specifically, the Danish Gambling Authority uses automated searches but also follows up on reports from individuals and businesses.  

The Danish Gambling Authority constantly monitors the gambling market to detect illegal gambling. If the regulator discovers sites offering illegal gambling, it makes them aware of the violation and asks them to stop the illegal offer. If the illegal offer does not stop, the authority will ask the district court to have the illegal sites blocked. In practical terms, it is the Danish ISPs that must implement the blocking. 

The blocked websites mainly offer traditional casino games such as roulette, gaming machines and poker, as well as betting. 13 of the websites are so-called "skin betting" websites. Skin betting covers betting, casino games and lotteries where the deposit and/or winnings are a skin, which is a virtual item in computer games. 

The watchdog reminded stakeholders that it is illegal to offer gambling in Denmark without a license from the Danish Gambling Authority. The same applies if a foreign operator targets the Danish market. It is also contrary to the Danish Gambling Act to disseminate to or advertise unlicensed gambling operators.