The latest court-approved action brings the number of unlicensed gambling sites blocked in Denmark since 2012 to 870
Licensed operators continue to face competition from offshore websites targeting Danish players without meeting the country’s regulatory requirements. Spillemyndigheden is addressing that activity through court orders and mandatory blocks by internet service providers.
The Court of Frederiksberg ruled in favour of the Danish Gambling Authority on 8 July, authorising the blocking of 98 websites that offered illegal gambling to consumers in Denmark.
The latest group raises the total number of illegal gambling websites blocked at the regulator’s request to 870 since the blocking procedure began in 2012.
How Denmark blocks illegal gambling sites
Spillemyndigheden continually monitors websites suspected of offering gambling to Danish consumers without a licence. When the regulator identifies an illegal service, it first instructs the operator to stop targeting the country.
If the operator does not comply, the matter proceeds through telecommunications providers and the courts. A court must confirm that the websites are operating illegally before Danish internet service providers can be ordered to restrict access.
The blocks are implemented through the Domain Name System, commonly known as DNS. This prevents the internet provider from connecting a user to the gambling website through its domain name.
Anyone attempting to visit one of the affected domains is instead shown a notice explaining that the website is illegal and has been blocked at the request of Spillemyndigheden.
How the regulator identifies Denmark-facing services
Offering gambling in Denmark or directing gambling services towards the country without a Danish licence is illegal.
Spillemyndigheden considers several indicators when determining whether an operator is targeting Danish consumers. These include the use of the Danish language, Danish currency or national flag, as well as advertising directed at the country.
Other indicators can include Danish customer support, domestic-only payment cards and connections through Steam. A website may also be considered Denmark-facing when its betting markets cover local sporting events in the country’s lower divisions.
Licensed operators must display Spillemyndigheden’s official approval label. The mark allows consumers to identify businesses authorised to operate in Denmark and cannot be used without the regulator’s written permission.
