Denmark Takes Harder Look at Gambling Regulation as 500K People Need Help

The Minister for Taxation of Denmark, Rasmus Stoklund, has urged for further action in regulating the gambling industry. Stoklund expressed concerns over the number of players who may be needing help in the country, with some 500,000 people experiencing some form of gambling-related harm, and 60,000 people self-registering at the national self-exclusion program.

Gamblers in Denmark Experience Increasing Gambling-Related Harm

Denmark may now look at a stricter approach to its gambling regulation, combining its soft-touch and targeted approach with a firmer hold on the industry.

Among the proposed measures is a whistle-to-whistle ban, copying the UK, which enforces a rule that prohibits gambling ads from being broadcast during high-profile sporting events.

Stoklund believes that the path to achieving long-lasting and meaningful results is through reuniting lawmakers in parliament and thrashing out a new, improved framework that would allow them to protect consumers from gambling-related harm.

“This can have very serious consequences for those who gamble, but also for their families, friends, and relationships with those around them. It is a growing problem for which we must now find good political solutions together,” Stoklund said, referring to the increasing number of people experiencing gambling-related harm.

Earlier this year, Denmark announced that it had blocked 178 illegal gambling websites, part of the regulator’s efforts in reining in harmful operators.