Since 2012, Denmark has consistently established itself as a leader in European iGaming which is not unexpected, given that Scandinavia has a high adoption rate of technology. Based on official data from the Danish Gambling Authority (Spillemyndigheden), this report from Delasport provides an in-depth look at the market, including the exponential growth of online channels, player demographics, interests, and goals.

Danish iGaming market size and growth

Denmark has an extremely high mobile connection rate (over 5.41 million people. Additionally, there are around 5.69 million people using the Internet which accounts for just over 98% of the entire population. 

According to Spillemyndigheden’s figures, the share of GGR generated by online gambling in the Danish gambling market has been increasing since 2012. In 2012, GGR from online gaming (across all verticals) accounted for 31% of overall gambling revenue; by 2020, it accounted for 59%.

Spillemyndigheden’s annual overview for 2021 highlights the higher preference of the Danish players to place their bets using online channels, particularly mobile devices, with an increase of 7.2.% when compared with Q4 2020.

With a GGR of 700 million Euros in 2021, online casino accounted for 450 million Euros and a market share of 64.3%. Sports betting had a GGR of 250 million Euros, representing 35.7%.

Online gambling legislation in Denmark

The Danish Gambling Authority (DGA) regulates the Danish gambling business, which began commercial online gaming on January 1, 2012. Commercial licenses for sports betting, casino games, and poker were made accessible under this new Danish legislation. Commercial licenses for horse/greyhound race betting and bingo were available on January 1, 2018, breaking the national lottery operator’s monopoly on the market.

The current tax rate for interactive sports betting and gaming is 28% of GGR, which was raised from 20% in 2021. In 2019, the government introduced new legislation to increase the social responsibilities of operators, which then came into force in 2020. These included:

• Mandatory monthly, weekly or daily player deposit limits.
• Individual promotions and promotional (free bonus) amounts must not exceed 135 euros (DKK 1,000).
• Betting promotions to not exceed over 10x the players’ stake. 
• Promotional offers to have broader targeting, with at least 100 players required to be given the same offer.
• Players to be given at least 60 days to fulfill the terms of a promotion.

Casino in Denmark

Viking and Nordic themes are popular in Denmark, A very successful video slot that has got a lot of traction is Book of Dead and Legacy of Dead by Play’n GO, Bonanza by Big Time Gaming and Sweet Bonanza by Pragmatic Play. Live casino and live dealer shows are also very popular. 

 The appeal of these live dealer shows is simple to understand: they are quick, have intriguing mechanics, and have a variety of in-game options to keep a player engaged. With presenters administering the game in real-time, players enjoy a deeper and more engaging interaction. 

Games like Keno, Baccarat, and Bingo are the most well-liked among Danish gamers. Many land-based casino houses in Denmark have also integrated live games with specially equipped TV rooms where land-based players can join the online fun.

According to figures by Ficom Leisure and the Danish Gambling Authority, slots is by far the most popular type of game, played by 73.5% of all online casino customers. The second most popular was roulette with 9.7%, and Blackjack and commission games making up 6.5% and 6.8% respectively.

Sports betting in Denmark

Football is without a doubt the most popular sport in Denmark, with many successful footballers and teams hailing from the nation. Created in 1991, Denmark’s professional domestic football competition is known as the Superliga and has a total of 12 teams. The Danish 1st Division, Danish 2nd Division, Danish 3rd Division, and Danmarksserien are other leagues that see a lot of betting action.

Handball is also a popular sport in Denmark, with over 100,000 licensed handball players. HTH Ligaen is the top professional men’s handball league, whereas Damehndboldligaen is the highest professional women’s handball league. Ice hockey is another popular sport in Denmark, with Metal Ligaen being the most well-known league since 1954.  

Denmark is one of the countries with the highest per-capita bicycle ownership with Bjarne Riis, Tony Rominger, Henry Hansen, Michael Rasmussen, and others, among the finest riders in the world. Major cycling events, like the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, World Championship – Cyclo-cross, Milan-San Remo, and others, are covered by several online sportsbooks aimed at the Danish market.

American Football, basketball, badminton, gymnastics, and other sports are also popular among Danes.

VR sports are also of interest to Danish players, with demand for VR leagues growing at a high rate following the closure of live games during the pandemic. They are likely to remain popular as they are not affected by seasonal changes and can run all year round.

Our expectations for the future

With restrictions related to promotions, operators will further consider how other sectors have used data to increase player engagement while focusing their efforts on keeping their most loyal customers. As a result, in order to differentiate themselves from the competition, operators will shift away from a promotion-driven approach and instead focus on establishing a player journey that they can manage, gamify, and motivate. This is only feasible if they have access to technology that enables them to nurture their athletes using real-time data, allowing them to improve their Player Lifetime Value plans.

With a range of products and solutions designed to bring players the very best experiences, Delasport is well placed to elevate iGaming across Denmark. With GLI certification to operate in Denmark with Sportsbook, Casino and PAM, boosted by industry-leading technology solutions on offer, Delasport is in many ways, a safe bet for operators looking to break into the Danish market.