Report: Danes among lowest spending gamblers in Europe

Danish citizens were among the lowest spending gamblers in Europe in 2019, according to new data released by the Danish Gambling Authority (DGA). Research ranks the Danes in eighth position when it comes to annual game spend per capita, with the average Dane spending just DKK2,101 (£254) per year, just behind the UK and just ahead of players in Switzerland and Greece. According to the data, Finnish gamblers are the biggest spenders in Europe, spending DKK3,148 annually, significantly ahead of Italy in second place and Ireland in third. Denmark’s Nordic neighbours Iceland, Sweden and Norway all ranked higher in terms of annual gambling spend.

Researchers found that Danes spent a smaller share of their average gambling spend on lotteries and casino than other Europeans identified in the study. Europeans spent on average 45% of their annual gaming spend in 2019 on casino games, while Danes spend just 42%. The same trend can be witnessed in lottery gaming, with Danes spending 33%, rather than the 38% average among their European counterparts. However, Danes spent more on sports betting in 2019 compared to their European neighbours, spending 25.6% of average annual gambling spend compared to an average of 16.6% among other European nations included in the study. Danish gambling revenue has been on the slide throughout 2020, although a Q2 revenue decline of 33% narrowed to just 5% during Q3. In October, the DGA revealed that more than half (54%) of Danish gamblers had gambled online during 2019, rising from just 31% in 2012. In January 2021, a new 8% tax hike on Danish online gambling will enter into force, increasing the tax burden on operators from 20% to 28%, a measure which has been widely opposed on the grounds it will decrease channelisation to the licensed market.