From 1 January 2025, all game suppliers wishing to provide services to gambling operators licensed in Denmark must obtain a licence from the Danish Gambling Authority.

Applications for these licences will be accepted beginning 1 September 2024.

To assist with this process, the Danish Gambling Authority has created guidance materials and made application forms available online.

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Interested parties can find detailed information under the “Game Suppliers” section of the Danish Gambling Authority’s website.

The Danish Gambling Authority mandates that game suppliers’ games, game platforms, business procedures and systems undergo testing and inspection by an accredited testing company.

These tests must comply with the Danish Gambling Authority’s certification programme before any games can be offered to gambling operators.

A revised version of the certification programme is currently in development and will clarify the respective responsibilities of operators and game suppliers. This new programme is expected to be finalised and open for consultation by mid-July 2024, with implementation set for 1 January 2025.

Updated standard reports will also be available from this date.

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Coinciding with the introduction of supplier licences, the Danish Gambling Authority will launch a new portal for managing game certificates, known as the “Games Register”.

This portal is scheduled to be operational by 1 October 2024, and game supplier applicants will receive login details to upload their information and game certificates as part of the application process.

Notably, existing game certificates and certifications under the current programme will remain valid, eliminating the need for re-certification of already tested and inspected games or systems.

However, starting 1 July 2025, adherence to the new certification programme will become mandatory. Game suppliers and operators are thus encouraged to adopt the updated programme as soon as possible to ensure compliance.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has found that sports streaming service Kayo, provided by Hubbl Pty Limited (Hubbl), breached gambling advertising rules by presenting gambling advertisements during live sports events outside allowed times.

The ACMA investigated Hubbl following complaints from viewers relating to live streams of a number of sporting events on Kayo. Gambling advertisements must not be shown by online content providers during live sport events between 5 am and 8.30 pm, including in the five minutes before and after the event.

The ACMA’s investigations identified 16 different gambling advertisements were provided outside the allowed times across a total of 267 live sport events. Hubbl said that this was caused by a system error that affected viewers using iOS applications in a six week period over February and March 2023.

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ACMA Authority member Carolyn Lidgerwood said the scale of the error as well as Hubbl’s failure to identify a system bug affecting the playout of gambling ads across a large number of live sport events was very concerning.

“Online streaming services as well as broadcasters all have a responsibility to put robust systems in place so that they adhere to these long-standing gambling advertising rules,” Ms Lidgerwood said.

“The rules are there to reduce viewer exposure to gambling ads, particularly for impressionable young audiences and those vulnerable to gambling harms. In this case Hubbl has let those viewers down.”

The ACMA has issued Hubbl with a remedial direction requiring it to arrange an external audit of its technical systems and processes, including the measures that it has implemented subsequent to the breaches.

If Hubbl fails to comply with the terms of the remedial direction it may be ordered by the Federal Court to pay penalties of up to $626,000 per day.

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