Spillemyndigheden gains more response options with Gambling Act amendment

On 2 May 2024, the Danish Parliament adopted amendments to the Act on Gambling, enhancing the Danish Gambling Authority’s (Spillemyndigheden) capacity to respond to breaches of gambling legislation.

Effective from 1 July 2024, these amendments provide the Spillemyndigheden with additional tools, including the ability to issue orders and reprimands.

Previously, the Spillemyndigheden could only warn licence holders or report them to the police for any breaches of gambling legislation.

The new provisions allow the Spillemyndigheden to issue an order or a reprimand when a breach is detected. If the licence holder fails to comply with the order or misses the deadline, the case may still be reported to the police and the licence may be revoked.

An important aspect of the amendment is the requirement for the Spillemyndigheden to publish certain responses. Court rulings that result in a guilty verdict or partial verdict – as well as fines for breaches – must be published on the Spillemyndigheden’s website for five years.

To facilitate access to this information, the Spillemyndigheden has created a list of all reactions, which can be found under the ‘Rulings and reactions’ section in the ‘News’ menu on its website.

This list provides an overview of the regulatory actions and serves as a resource for monitoring compliance within the gambling sector.

Additionally, the Danish Ministry of Taxation has initiated a consultation on new rules regarding charity lotteries and the liberalisation of land-based bingo.

The draft proposal for the Act on Amendment of Act on Gambling and the Gambling Duties Act has been submitted for consultation, with responses due by 22 August 2024.

The new rules – expected to take effect on 1 January 2025 – aim to further refine the regulatory landscape for gambling in Denmark.

In related news, the Danish Gambling Authority also recently updated the requirements for reporting game data.