Denmark's government tables bill for phased gambling reforms, with ad limits from July 2027

The Danish government has presented a bill to put its gambling reforms package, known as Spilpakke 1, into law. Minister for Taxation and Growth Jakob Engel-Schmidt introduced it in parliament on 7 October, almost exactly a year after the package was first made public. The measures are planned to take effect in stages between January and October 2027.

Marketing rules form a central part of the bill. Gambling ads may not target people under 18 or feature anyone under 25, and marketing will be barred in public transport and in facilities within 200 metres of most schools and youth education institutions. A ban on gambling advertising during live sports broadcasts would run from ten minutes before kick-off until ten minutes after the event ends, and would cover live odds on screens and streaming platforms. These marketing restrictions are due to start in July 2027. According to the bill, the live-sport ad ban could cost the state DKK15 million ($2.25 million) in 2027 and DKK25 million a year afterwards, while the regulator would lose roughly DKK1-2 million in fees.

Licence holders, with the exception of small charitable land-based lotteries, would have to monitor player behaviour continuously and step in promptly when signs of gambling problems appear. The Danish Gambling Authority, Spillemyndigheden, would receive explicit powers to carry out inspections without a court order when investigating suspected illegal gambling. Unauthorised gambling provision could bring fines or up to one year in prison in aggravated cases, and marketing unlicensed gambling would become a criminal offence. Fines would scale with company size and be based on annual gross gaming revenue.

For land-based retail, the existing bestyrer approval system would be replaced by new forhandlere licences covering lotteries, bingo, betting, casino games and gaming machines. Gambling arcades would need physical separation, staff present during opening hours and a ban on minors, and certain fast-paced games would be limited to the hours between 7am and midnight. Combination or novel game variants would need explicit regulator approval after an assessment of responsible gambling implications, market impact and conflicts with monopolised lottery products.

Morten Rønde, managing partner at Nordic Legal, said the package had left him "shell shocked" when it was announced and argued that the proposals have no link to evidence that they would help with gambling addiction. He noted that the new bill replaces an earlier version, L-127, which lapsed with the election, and that its substance is unchanged. He added that several Danish political parties favour a full advertising ban.