Denmark is considering gambling reforms including advertisement restrictions and a tax hike.
The country’s minister for taxation, Rasmus Stoklund, confirmed that the Danish government will explore a number of changes to gambling laws.
Concerns are starting to arise regarding problem gambling in Denmark and ad restrictions is likely to be the first move in trying to prevent further harm.
Stoklund revealed that around 500,000 people in the country experience gambling-related problems of some form and there are over 60,000 registered with the national self-exclusion system ROFUS.
ROFUS, short for ‘Register of Self-Excluded Players,’ gives Danish residents the ability to voluntarily block themselves from participating in online gambling, betting through licensed operators and visiting land-based casinos.
Users can temporarily exclude themselves for a period between 24 hours to six months or choose a permanent ban, which requires a minimum of one year before reactivation can be considered.
Stoklund criticised aggressive marketing during televised sporting events and suggested Denmark could introduce a ‘whistle-to-whistle’ ban on gambling advertisement during broadcasts.
In December 2018, the UK implemented a ‘whistle-to-whistle’ television advertising ban as the Remote Gambling Association struck a deal with the biggest betting sites in the UK such as Bet365, Ladbrokes and Paddy Power.
The government also wants to increase funding and improve conditions to provide better support and more effective and targeted tools for people who have experienced gambling harm.
Stoklund suggested the gambling industry in Denmark was willing to work with parliament to address the issue.
A tax hike is believed to be a possibility. Later this winter, the UK government is widely expected to follow through with a rise that could push 28% of gamblers to the black market.
iGaming operators in Denmark are required to pay a tax of 28% on their gross gaming revenues, applied at a flat rate across all types of online gambling activities.
Joe Lyons is a betting industry writer for GamblingIndustryNews with years of experience on reputable gambling websites. Joe specialises in long form content in the world of sports betting and gambling. Joe is recognised as an expert in sports fields such as horse racing, soccer, NFL and NBA.
