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Pioneering Denmark regulator Spillemyndigheden has won a key court case.
The Finding
The landmark win came against an association offering bingo and banko to members without a licence.
The Violations
In an on-site visit to the as yet unnamed organisation in Odense 2019, Spillemyndigheden discovered a pattern of illegal activity that had continued for years: the daily offering of both unlicensed bingo and banko to members.
Monopoly Market
With the Denmark government maintaining a monopoly on bingo and banko games, only state-owned Danske Spil is permitted to operate those games and related services, with exceptions made only for non-profit lottery games run for the benefit of good causes.
The Breach
In the case heard in court in Odense 2 February, the court ruled in favor of Spillemyndigheden, finding that the offering of bingo and banko to members was a breach of national gambling laws.
The Fine
As a result, the court imposed a fine of DKK15,000 (£1,784/€2,014/$2,153), with the company ordered to pay court costs as well.
Upholding Authority
The ruling is an assertion of the authority of Spillemyndigheden which increases the Danish Gambling Authority’s reach in a thriving market.
Strong Market Growth
It was revealed last week that Danish gambling revenue increased by 7.9% year-on-year in 2022 with rises visible across all sectors.
Figures
Annual revenue for 2022 in Denmark reached DKK6.72bn, up year-on-year from DKK6.23bn in the previous 12-month period.
Top Vertical
The strongest performing vertical in Denmark was online casino, which generated DKK2.90bn in revenue for a 3.2% year-on-year increase.
Second Best Vertical
Sports betting revenue grew a healthy 3.9% to DKK2.32bn, with land-based slots vaulting 47.6% to DKK1.15bn in 2022.
Land-Based Jump
Licensed land-based casinos rose a whopping 58.6% to DKK3490m, according to the Spillemyndigheden figures.
About Spillemyndigheden
Founded in 2000 as the Danish Gaming Authority, Spillemyndigheden serves as an executive authority under the Danish Ministry of Taxation.
What Spillemyndigheden Does
On their website, Spillemyndigheden takes responsibility for ensuring a well-regulated gambling market in Denmark “that protects players from unfair and illegal gambling.”
Domain
The gambling legislation that Spillemyndigheden is tasked with presiding over includes lotteries, betting, online casinos, gaming machines, public poker tournaments, and land-based casinos.
Duties
More duties identified at the website that Spillemyndigheden performs include issuing licences for gambling, supervision of gambling operators, monitoring the gambling industry, supervising international cooperation and responsible gambling, and providing advisory services.
Outlook
At this point, Spillemyndigheden has successfully presided over a robust gaming market that continues to grow, and the victory in court upholding Spillemyndigheden’s ability to detect licence violations represents another affirmation of the effectiveness of Spillemyndigheden overall.
