The Ruling in the Field Stands: Court Upholds Denmark Regulatory Blocking
Published February 17, 2018 by Lee R
Denmark is doing the heavy lifting in Scandinavia in adapting a regulation model.
A new legal ruling in Denmark will result in the blockage of 24 unauthorized gambling sites.
The Order
Danish telecom firms have been ordered under the auspices an October mandate from Denmark’s Spillemyndigheden regulatory agency for internet service providers to restrict access to unlicensed gambling domains serving Danish players.
The Problem
Since October, many ISPs have continued to resist the regulator’s order, resulting in Spillemyndigheden going to court to enforce their ISP prohibitions against violators.
Policy Upheld by Court
A court hearing held January 23rd recently issued the blockage verdict upholding Spillemyndigheden. The order designated violating websites as those offering gambling products within the jurisdiction of Spillemyndigheden, along with others offering services in the Danish language and accepting Danish currency which would make them accessible to Danish players.
Other Areas of Concern
Other domains under restriction include eSports skin betting sites requiring players to register with Steam, a marketplace offering services in Danish language and currency. The court also affirmed skin play as being under the watch of Spillemyndigheden and other regulators due to concerns about the betting technique reaching underage audiences.
Organisational Spokesman
Spillemyndigheden CEO Birgitte Sand expressed her organisation’s pleasure with the manner in which the court decision demonstrated the “commitment we have to ensure Danish players against illegal gambling” and also “to protect the licensees who have a license to provide gambling in Denmark.”
The Landmark
The decision is major victory for Spillemyndigheden, confirming that the policy and restrictions that the Danish gaming regulator has formed in its regulation model will be supported and enforced by the full legal authority of the land.
The Modern Framework
The government of Denmark approved its current gambling regulatory framework in June 2010, with the new laws originally taking effect January 1, 2012. The country’s regulated market has been growing steadily ever since, with the latest figures putting the Danish gambling market’s worth at DKK4.357 billion in terms of revenue generated during the first three quarters of 2017, up from DKK4.191 billion year-on-year.
Key Regional Context
At this point, Denmark is the only Scandinavian country to have opened its market to international operators. The Danish court’s formal upholding of express gambling authority policy, and the regulated model in turn can signal to its neighbours the credibility of incoming models that Norway, Finland, and Sweden are in some stage of consideration and development.
