Denmark’s Spillemyndigheden Regulatory Agency Shuts Down 25 Illegal Gambling Sites in 2019

Danish gambling regulator Spillemyndigheden has revealed that it had blocked access to 25 online gambling websites in 2019, as part of the efforts to stamp out illegal activity in the country.

Working in partnership with the Danish Tax Authority, the regulator conducted a search of 502 websites. Ten were found to be operating illegally, prompting Spillemyndigheden to file court petitions to have internet service providers block access to the sites. These cases are all expected to conclude later this year.

After expanding the scope of its search for potentially illegal content to include skin betting in 2018, 110 sites were reviewed in 2019, with closer investigations carried out for six. Petitions to have ISPs block access to 15 sites were filed in total.

For land-based gambling, it noted that under the Gaming Act it does not have any jurisdiction over illegal land-based gambling, though assists the Danish police when and where required. This saw it provide input on 19 cases in which gaming venues offered poker or slot machines without certification.

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These efforts appear to be having a positive impact on efforts to channel players towards legal gambling offerings. According to research by H2 Gambling Capital, Spillemyndigheden said an estimated 91.54% of gambling spend occurred through legal channels.