Over half of Danish players now gamble online

More than half of Danish gamblers played online during 2019, according to the latest data released by the Danish Gambling Authority (DGA). The DGA survey found that 54% of respondents gambled online during the last year, compared to just 31% in 2012. In contrast, land-based and retail gambling has declined over the same period, with revenue generated from the sector falling from a high of DKK5.4bn (£656m) in 2012 to just DKK4.5bn (£547m) in 2019, with the vertical overtaken by its online counterpart. Total gross gambling revenue (GGR) generated in the Danish market rose by more than 25% between 2012 and 2019, from DKK7.8bn to DKK9.8bn.

The percentage of individuals using a mobile phone to gamble online has increased significantly over the course of the period, rising from 11% of survey participants in 2012 to 61% of survey participants in 2019, with the rise mirrored by a decline in desktop gambling. Survey results put the Danish market among the biggest online gambling markets in Europe based on participation, with only Sweden having a larger online gambling participation rate. The next biggest online gambling participation rates were in Norway, the UK and Finland. “There is a big difference between the different gaming markets and the regulation of European countries,” DGA acting CEO Jan Madsen said. “Some countries still have a monopoly on gambling, and in France, online gambling accounts for only 24% of the market. However, in the French market there is a strong tradition of playing both lotto and betting on horseracing at bars instead of gambling online,” Madsen explained.