The Danish Consumer Ombudsman, the Gambling Advertising Board and the Danish Gambling Authority have entered into a new agreement to enhance coordination in addressing illegal marketing of gambling in Denmark.
This collaboration aims to streamline efforts and prevent duplication of work when dealing with violations by gambling companies.
The agreement outlines the roles and responsibilities of each body. The Consumer Ombudsman is tasked with supervising gambling companies' compliance with the Marketing Act and other consumer protection regulations.
The Danish Gambling Authority oversees adherence to the rules on the marketing of games as specified in the Gambling Act, including regulations on sales promotion measures.
The Gambling Advertising Board, an industry-established body, handles complaints about marketing practices that breach the industry's code of conduct. This code is designed to strengthen social responsibility, protect vulnerable groups and limit gambling addiction.
Under the new agreement, the Gambling Advertising Board will forward cases to the Consumer Ombudsman or the Gambling Authority if gambling companies do not comply with the board's criticisms or if there are violations of the authorities' rules.
Conversely, the Consumer Ombudsman and the Gambling Authority will direct complainants to the Gambling Advertising Board if the issue pertains to the industry's code of conduct but does not breach the rules overseen by the authorities.
The three bodies will regularly inform each other of relevant cases and hold annual meetings to ensure ongoing coordination. This collaboration is expected to enhance the regulatory framework and enforcement actions against illegal gambling marketing.
In related developments, the Danish Gambling Authority, Spillemyndigheden, is set to host a third round of anti-money laundering (AML) training on 31 October. This training, organised with several Danish authorities, aims to improve operational knowledge and experience sharing among organisations subject to AML laws. Previous sessions in November 2023 and April 2024 saw high participation, leading to this additional training event.
Moreover, Spillemyndigheden will introduce new licensing rights for game suppliers beginning in 2025. This comes in the context of a recent report indicating a 6.9% decrease in monthly global gaming revenue (GGR) in Denmark, totaling DKK 595 million ($86.4 million) for April.
