Danish Regulator Spillemyndigheden Cracks Down Before Problems Arise
Published May 27, 2020 by Lee R
In Denmark, divergence from protective procedures is rapidly flagged to prevent devastating results.
Already known for cutting edge protection measures, the Danish gaming authority is now also showing prowess in preventative compliance with its most recent directive.
Spillemyndigheden's Latest Prevention
The new example comes in the form of Danish Gambling Authority Spillemyndigheden's response to a finding that a license holder's AML process was outdated: Bingo.dk operator Winteq was ordered to conduct a risk assessment for money laundering and terrorism financing.
Procedural Adaptations
Spillemyndigheden ordered the new assessment from Winteq in the procedures of identification, evaluation and analysis of money laundering and terrorist financing risk factors, and further ordered Winteq to adapt procedures accordingly, and bring them into compliance with sections 7(1) and 8 (1) of the Danish Anti-Money Laundering Act.
The Importance of Data
The regulator explained the due diligence required by saying assessment must be “supported by relevant data, and that the supranational as well as the national risk assessment are consulted.”
Winteq
Operating across websites Bingo.dk, Spildansknu.dk and Spilleautomaten.dk, Winteq otherwise holds a full online casino licence in Denmark. Spillemyndigheden's order called for adaptation across Winteq's wide array of offerings including roulette, blackjack, baccarat, punto banco, online bingo, poker and slots, along with backgammon and guessing competitions.
Unlicensed Bingo Prevention
Other recent preventative measures include Spillemyndigheden's earlier reminder this month to players to ensure gambling takes place with licensed operators, which took place in response to a detected rise in unlicensed bingo games across both online and physical venues.
Spillemyndigheden attributed the rise to Corona shutdowns scuttling many planned live bingo events, or demand for bingo operators to provide unified national activity amid the crisis—but no matter how rational or noble the aim, Spillemyndigheden had to crack down on moving ahead without a license in these challenging times.
Proactively Blocking Access
Last month in April, Spillemyndigheden proactively and preventatively blocked access to 16 illegal gambling websites, after a District Court ruled in favour of the regulator's request to do so in March.
Outlook
In times of difficulty, is is refreshing and important to see leadership from a contained and well-respected jurisdiction such as in Denmark, where looking ahead has protected more people now.
