Denmark's Q1 Reflects the Times, in Usage and Policy Measures
Published June 1, 2019 by Lee R
A new whistle-blowing mechanism is being offered by Danish Gaming Authority Spillemyndigheden after Q1 outcomes and developments.
Denmark’s regulated gambling market was a clear case of online improvements and land-based declines in the first quarter of 2019.
Online up; Land-based Drops
Q1 figures released this week by Denmark's regulatory agency Spillemyndigheden regulatory agency showed distinct online improvement versus significant land-based decline.
Sports Betting tops Verticals
The dominant vertical in Denmark remained sports betting, bringing in DKK619m in Q1 for 39% of the total take, representing a 10.4% year-on-year but also the lowest total since Q1 2018.
Mobile Apps Lead Usage
The most popular betting medium was, not surprisingly, mobile apps, with a 53.3% share of total wagering revenue. This figure was followed by desktop wagering at 27.3%, a surprisingly strong five points plus rise year-on-year that also topped land-based channels' 21.9% of total wagering revenue, down nearly 2.5 points year-on-year.
More Verticals
Online casino revenue's 2019 Q1 6.6% year-on-year rise to DKK556m was a mere DKK1m higher than Q4 2018; online slots took 62.3% of the online casino pie, followed by roulette (14.6%) and blackjack (12%). Desktop computers also held strong here, as the dominant online casino medium at 56.8%, a drop year-on-year of one point.
Land-based Shortfalls
On the land-based tip, gaming machines in arcades and restaurants fell 3.6% year-on-year to DKK346m, the lowest total ever recorded, while Denmark's seven land-based casinos saw revenue slide 10.8% to DKK83m.
Self-inclusion
Denmark’s innovative gambling self-exclusion registry ROFUS was up to 18,100 at the end of Q1, of which 12,415 opted for permanent exclusion.
New Whistleblower Program
An intriguing whistleblower program was introduced by Spillemyndigheden as well, the first mechanism allowing gaming industry staff to report potential violations of their country's anti-money laundering dictates within their organisations.
The system includes a Spillemyndigheden-provided contact form available under the Contact menu on its official website, where aforementioned employees will be able to file anonymous, encrypted reports with the regulator.
The Danish Gambling Authority has committed to performing a legal assessment of each report filed to decide where further action is deemed necessary.
Sign of the Times
The news might seem harsh to some, but is timed with the climate, as the UK Gambling Commission recently served a £4.5 million fine on four licensees for repeated failures to implement effective money laundering prevention measures.
Outlook
Spillemyndigheden has outlined more priorities for whistle-blowing, which reflects the greater concern for money laundering online that the space is vulnerable to as usage shifts their from the land-based channels. These measures hopefully will remain in keeping with the times, to maintain a comfort zone for new applicants.
