Introduction
Spillemyndigheden, the Danish Gambling Authority, is Denmark's national gambling regulator. Its public mission statement says it works to ensure that citizens can gamble in a fair and legal market and to prevent gambling-related harm. Denmark matters because it is an EU-regulated market with a dense rulebook, public licence-holder lists, and a strong responsible-gambling infrastructure, including ROFUS, the national self-exclusion system.
The Authority's English-language website provides separate pages for betting, online casino, land-based casinos, revenue-restricted licences, responsible gambling, and legal framework. Those pages make the Danish regime comparatively easy to verify, even where some primary texts remain available only in Danish through the Retsinformation legal database.
Legal Framework
The legal framework page identifies Consolidation Act no. 1182 of 22 September 2025 as the Danish Gambling Act and then lists the currently applicable executive orders by sector. For current remote gambling, the key secondary instruments are:
- Executive Order no. 684 of 11 June 2025 on online betting
- Executive Order no. 682 of 11 June 2025 on online casino
The same legal-framework page also links to Denmark's AML legislation, including Consolidation Act no. 1463 of 18 November 2025 on preventive measures against money laundering and financing of terrorism. In other words, a Danish operator does not comply only with sector-specific gambling rules — it also operates within a broader AML statute and related executive-order environment.
Regulatory Authority
Spillemyndigheden is the competent authority for licensing and supervision. Its public "Who is the Danish Gambling Authority?" page frames the Authority as both a market-integrity and harm-prevention regulator, while its responsible-gambling page states that licence holders are obliged to offer gambling in a responsible manner and that the Authority continuously monitors compliance.
The Authority also uses public informational and technical instruments rather than licence certificates alone. These include the public licence-holder list, executive orders, guidance, certification materials, and ROFUS-related rules. That combination is characteristic of a mature regulatory model.
Types of Licences
The most important Danish licence classes for international readers are online betting, online casino, land-based casino, and the special revenue-restricted licences for smaller-scale online activity.
| Licence type | Activity authorised | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Online betting licence | Online and land-based sales of betting products | Valid for up to 5 years according to the betting page |
| Online casino licence | Roulette, blackjack, baccarat, punto banco, poker, online bingo, gaming machines, and combination games | Valid for up to 5 years according to the online-casino page |
| Land-based casino licence | Physical casino operations | Public page states there are seven licensed land-based casinos in Denmark |
| Revenue-restricted licence | Online betting or online casino on a small scale | Valid for up to 1 year, with capped GGR and turnover |
Application Process
The betting page states that a betting licence covers both online and land-based sales of betting products, is valid for up to five years, and requires form 2-01 with annexes. The online-casino page uses the same application-forms architecture for online casino.
The revenue-restricted regime has its own application structure. The Authority explains that such licences are valid for up to one year, that gross gaming revenue must not exceed DKK 1 million, and that gambling turnover must not exceed DKK 10 million. It also states that non-Danish entities outside Denmark, the EU, or the EEA must appoint a representative in Denmark and that the representative must be approved by the Authority.
Fees
For the standard 5-year online-betting and online-casino licences, the exact 2026 fee schedule was not reproduced on the English pages reviewed here. For those categories, exact figures should be verified directly at the official Authority pages and licensing forms.
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue-restricted or turnover-restricted licence application fee | DKK 68,700 in 2026 | Officially stated on the revenue-restricted licences page |
| Standard online betting licence fees | Verify at official source | Check the betting permit page and current forms |
| Standard online casino licence fees | Verify at official source | Check the online-casino permit page and current forms |
| Land-based casino fees | Verify at official source | Check the land-based casino page and forms |
As of 2026-05-10, exact figures for the standard 5-year licences should be verified directly with Spillemyndigheden at the relevant official permit pages.
Ongoing Compliance Obligations
Responsible gambling is central in Denmark. The Authority says licence holders are obliged to offer gambling responsibly and that it monitors operators' procedures and policies on responsible gambling. It also notes that on 26 February 2026 it published new guidance aimed specifically at betting and online-casino licence holders.
ROFUS is integral to the system. Earlier official updates and certification changes show that Denmark has tightened the self-exclusion and customer-protection architecture, including:
- Mandatory deposit-limit settings before play
- An automated self-exclusion process rather than a simple email-based one
That indicates a compliance model that goes beyond generic responsible-gambling statements and enters concrete product design and onboarding requirements.
Enforcement
The Authority's English pages reviewed for this article are more focused on compliance guidance and licensing than on public sanctions summaries. That said, the responsible-gambling page explicitly states that a gambling licence cannot be issued if the purpose of the Act concerning responsible gambling is not met and that the Authority continuously monitors compliance. The annual-report submission page also warns that failure to complete the annual report may be considered a gross violation and may cause licence withdrawal under section 44(1)(1) of the Gambling Act.
This is a good example of how Denmark's enforcement picture is presented: less through press-release settlements than through a dense web of statutory duties, technical standards, and explicit revocation triggers.
Upcoming Reforms
The main recent official developments visible in the sources reviewed are not a wholesale licensing redesign but an updated legal framework in 2025, rule adjustments around certification and data placement, and new 2026 responsible-gambling guidance for betting and online-casino operators. That suggests a regulator focused on incremental refinement rather than systemic reset.
Verifying a Licence
The simplest route is the Authority's "Licence holders" page:
- Search the operator or domain there and confirm whether the entity holds an online-betting licence, an online-casino licence, or a revenue-limited version of either.
- For land-based casinos, use the separate land-based-casino page, which publicly lists the seven licensed venues.
- Cross-check whether the operator's responsible-gambling tools are consistent with Danish requirements, especially ROFUS integration and deposit-limit practices.
In Denmark, the verification question is not only "is there a licence?" but also "is the licensed offer operating in the manner the executive orders and guidance require?"
Summary
Denmark is a highly documented EU gambling regime with clear public authority, public licence-holder lists, current 2025 executive orders for online betting and online casino, and a very visible responsible-gambling infrastructure centred on ROFUS.
The practical editorial lessons are simple: distinguish between standard 5-year and revenue-restricted licences, rely on Spillemyndigheden's licence-holder pages for verification, and describe Danish compliance as a combination of licensing, technical requirements, and harm-prevention controls rather than a one-line claim of being "licensed in Denmark."
Sources
- Who is the Danish Gambling Authority: https://www.spillemyndigheden.dk/en/who-danish-gambling-authority
- Danish Gambling Authority — Betting: https://www.spillemyndigheden.dk/en/betting
- Legal Framework: https://www.spillemyndigheden.dk/en/legal-framework
- Licence Holders: https://www.spillemyndigheden.dk/en/licence-holders?page=1
- Revenue-Restricted Licences: https://www.spillemyndigheden.dk/en/revenue-restricted-licences
- Responsible Gambling: https://www.spillemyndigheden.dk/en/responsible-gambling
- Changes to ROFUS — New Executive Orders: https://www.spillemyndigheden.dk/en/news/changes-rofus-new-executive-orders-have-come-force
This article was compiled from official and primary public sources only. Last reviewed: 2026-05-10.
Disclaimer: This directory is an independent informational resource. It does not constitute legal advice, endorsement, or recommendation of any operator or jurisdiction. Always verify licence status directly with the relevant regulatory authority.