Great Danish Effort Curbs Regulation Violations
Published February 3, 2019 by Lee R
The Danish authority is going proactive in protecting its progressive and successful market.
The Danish government is implementing a crackdown with a sweeping block of violators.
The Blocks
Danish gaming regulator Spillemyndigheden has called for blockage of a total of 18 sites for violation of the Danish Act on Gambling.
The Investigation
The measure has been issued on the heels of three web searches undertaken by the regulator last month December seeking to identify those operating in the country without required licencure.
Undertaken by the Danish Tax Agency's anti-fraud unit, the report revealed a full 742 “problematic sites” which resulted in 22 notice petitions sent to operators of violating sites.
Comparison to 2017
The block from Spillemyndigheden came down through an ordering of local ISPs to block the 18 non-responding sites. While 31 notices were issued last year, the blocking figure represents the highest number of domain-blocking orders issued by the Danish authorities in the liberalised market era initiated in 2012.
Skins Next
The report further called for another “blocking session” targeting 20 to 25 skin betting sites out of an original sample of 95 potentially problematic e-sports sites.
Social Media Involvement
The Denmark authority is further cracking down on the use of social media site Facebook to curtail illegal gambling in violation of local guidelines, where lottery groups have been formed that conflict with local monopolies.
Facebook has been working with the Danish authority on this project, which resulted in the closure of four groups in 2018.
Authority Statement
In assessing the overall findings, Spillemyndigheden stated:
“The number of websites with an illegal supply of gambling products that are found through web searches is continuously low. This matches the Danish Gambling Authority’s impression of the illegal market: that still fewer websites with gambling products directed at Denmark appear.”
Continued vigilance is visible in the skin crackdowns on the horizon.
The Market Performance
Overall, Spillemyndigheden reports record-breaking quarterly revenue generated by the online gaming market, with the 2018 FIFA World Cup a major reason for that.
Outlook
As the Danish market grows, some line-crossing is inevitable, but if the penalties can remain equitable and social media sites are not used to circumvent local licence guidelines, then the innovation and progressiveness of the Danish model should transcend enforcement measures in further adapting iGaming regulation jurisdiction-to-jurisdiction.
