Denmark Introduces Customized Player ID for Enhanced Consumer Protection

In a move aimed at enhancing consumer protection and curbing issues related to underage gambling and money laundering, the Danish gambling regulator, Spillemyndigheden, has declared that as of October 1, players must present a ‘Player ID’ when making wagers at physical retailers.

Customized Player ID Enhances Consumer Protection

The Player ID will be directly linked to a gambling account held with the respective gambling operator. Additionally, the new regulations offer flexibility to individual operators regarding the design of their ID cards. They can choose between providing a physical card or a virtual card through an app, tailoring the approach to their specific preferences and technological capabilities.

Spillemyndigheden underscored the rationale behind these measures, stating: “The background for requirements for registration of players and mandatory use of Player IDs is a political desire to increase consumer protection and reduce the risk of young people under the age of 18 gaining access to gambling in physical stores. In addition, there is a desire to strengthen efforts to combat match-fixing and money laundering.”

However, The primary objective behind the introduction of the Player ID system is to obstruct self-excluded individuals from accessing gambling services at brick-and-mortar establishments. 

Player ID System Set to Combat Underage Gambling in Denmark

This policy, agreed upon politically in November 2019, seeks to address long-standing challenges in the Danish gambling landscape. Until now, land-based betting in kiosks and other physical stores allowed players to wager completely anonymously, with no registration required unless the bet exceeded DKK 15,000. This anonymity facilitated underage gambling and posed challenges for self-excluded individuals who could continue to gamble without restraint.

Furthermore, the cloak of anonymity around land-based betting enabled criminal activities such as money laundering and match-fixing. The existing regulations mandated identification only for bets or winnings exceeding DKK 15,000 at a single betting outlet, allowing criminals to place smaller bets anonymously across multiple locations.

With the introduction of the Player ID system, the Danish government aims to create a safer gambling environment, protect vulnerable individuals, and curb illegal activities in the betting industry. The implementation process is expected to begin promptly and is set to take around three months before coming into full effect on July 1, 2024. While similar measures have been adopted in other countries like Norway, Denmark’s approach allows operators the flexibility to choose between physical or virtual cards, ensuring a customized approach to player identification.

These changes follow a recent report from Spillemyndigheden, which revealed that a significant number of problem gamblers in the country start gambling at a young age, with 50% of them having placed their first bet before the age of 18.