Danish Gambling Regulator Updates Rules Around Promotions and Advertising

Denmark’s gambling regulator, Spillemyndigheden, has unveiled revised guidelines aimed at tightening the way licensed operators promote gambling to consumers. The new rules, now in their third and fifth version for disclosure and promotional activity, respectively, place tighter restrictions on how the industry can market its products.

Advertisements Must List Additional Information

The changes refresh two key regulatory guidelines: the Guidance on Duty of Disclosure when Marketing Gambling and the Guidance on Sales Promotion. Both now feature improved language, new limits, and expanded examples to avoid ambiguity in how companies can legally promote gambling products in Denmark. 

The changes cover, among other things, a clarification and introduction of various requirements to the duty of disclosure and an elaborated description of different types of sales promotion, for example, boosted odds and game challenges.

Spillemyndigheden statement

According to the revised regulations, gambling ads must provide accurate information about winning odds, making it clear that gambling is a source of entertainment rather than a shortcut to wealth or social status. Promotional campaigns must also list additional data such as eligibility criteria, playthrough requirements, time limits, and caps on winnings.

Spillemyndigheden recognized that not all forms of advertisement can contain complete information. The updated provisions contain detailed examples for each media type, demonstrating how promotional materials can include as much data as is reasonably possible. Operators must also ensure that marketing content does not target or explicitly appeal to minors.

Targeted Promotions Face Significant Restrictions

Another significant update clarifies how operators are allowed to distribute their marketing materials. For example, all promotional offers must avoid targeting inactive players. While campaigns that extend to all users are permitted, singling out individuals who have not logged in for a while could lead to substantial penalties.

A licence holder is not allowed to target players with promotions simply because they have been inactive for some time. It does not matter how long the player has been inactive.

Spillemyndigheden ruling

The total value of any single bonus or promotion remains limited to DKK 1,000 ($156), and the updated guidance gives operators clearer instructions on how to comply with requirements such as minimum wagers and timeframes. Other measures also require all gambling companies to consult the national self-exclusion register, ROFUS, before initiating marketing efforts via means such as email, SMS, and app-based push notifications.

This update coincides with a surge in gambling participation and advertising spending in Denmark. The regulator also continues its clampdown on unlicensed sites. In June, it added 178 domain names to its blacklist in the most significant single enforcement crackdown to date. With its new announcement, Spillemyndigheden reaffirmed its commitment to an honest and ethical gambling sector where consumer safety is a priority.