Danish Gambling Authority wins court case against an association in Odense – Online-Casinos.com
Author:
Muhammad Gregory
The Danish Gambling Authority, Spillemyndigheden, recently prevailed in a court case that was lodged against an association in Odense that was offering a games of chance without holding a necessary license. The identity of the association was not disclosed, but it was found guilty of offering bingo and banko to players for many years. After a thorough investigation, the verdict ruled in favor of the Danish regulator, and a fine of DKK 15,000 ($2,153) was issued for the unnamed association.
Bingo and Banko are popular forms of gambling games in Denmark that are often played in social settings, such as community centers or at fundraising events for charities. The games and a few other gambling activities that revolve exclusively around luck, like lotteries, can only be offered by Danske Spil in Denmark. Established in 1949, Danske Spil had a monopoly on the supply of betting and lottery till Denmark became one of the first countries in Europe to liberate the market for gambling in 2012. Now the Danish Gambling Authority regulates the gambling markets. However, Danske Spil still has its monopoly on all gambling activities that fall under the category of lotteries.
An unnamed association in Odense lost a 4-year legal battle over unauthorized Bingo games
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Since bingo and banko also fall under the monopoly of Danske Spil, no other association or operator in Denmark can offer these games to their players. The Danish Gambling Authority cannot issue lottery licenses to any association or operator in the country. Operators that are licensed to operate land-based casinos or online gambling can also be penalized if they offer games like bingo and banko to their customers. Hence, the unnamed association in Odense was slapped with a hefty fine that is not inclusive of the court costs. The illegal offering of bingo and banko conducted by the association was confirmed in the Danish Gambling Authority’s first assessment in 2019.
After the assessment, it was concluded that the association was offering lottery games to its members on a daily basis. Hence, the activity and the association were reported to the local police. After almost four years, the Danish Gambling Authority prevailed in the judicial battle against the Odense-based association. Over the years, the Danish gambling market has undergone several significant changes since 2012, resulting in increased competition, innovation, and player protection. The market continues to evolve, and the regulation by Spillemyndigheden continues to be strict in every aspect, from ensuring player safety to keeping unlicensed operators at bay in a constantly booming gambling sector.
Record-high spike in Gambling activity
Just a few weeks before the Danish Gambling Authority won its court case against the association offering bingo and banko illegally, the monthly overview of gambling activity in the Nordic state was published by Spillemyndigheden. In the report, significant spikes were recorded across almost all gambling segments of the country. Apart from Sports betting, the other three segments – online casinos, land-based casinos and slot machines – touched new heights.
The Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) for 2022 rose by 7.5 percent compared to the previous year, generating DKK 6.70 billion ($991.4 million). Online casinos were the primary contributor to this increase, with a 2.1 percent rise and total revenue of DKK 2.88 billion, 3.4 percent higher than the GGR in 2021. The revenue was the highest ever reported by online casinos since the records began in 2012. Sports betting, however, saw a 3.6 percent year-on-year decrease, which was unexpected considering Denmark’s participation in the FIFA World Cup. Sports betting recorded revenue of DKK 2.23 billion, and the segment’s returns dropped by 35 percent to DKK 136 million in December 2022.
Slot machines and land-based casinos recorded positive growth in 2022. Slot machines generated DKK 99 million, a 43.5 percent increase from December 2021. Land-based casinos recovered well after no revenue in the first four months of 2021, recording a 58 percent rise in GGR to DKK 349 million in 2022. In December 2022 alone, land-based casinos marked a whopping 126.7 percent increase from the corresponding period in 2021, earning DKK 34 million in revenue from the segment.
Overall, the gambling markets in Denmark were in full swing during 2022. After publishing the monthly overview, Spillemyndigheden also published its quarterly report that showcased positive numbers in every segment. The gross gaming revenue (GGR) of the fourth quarter was DKK 1,762 million ($254 million), which indicated a 4.5 percent year-on-year increase with all four gambling segments in the green.
