Danish regulation amendments given European green light
Change to licensing charges will hit Danske Spil while majority of operators will see fee reduced
A series of amendments to Denmark’s online gambling legislation has been passed by the European Commission, with a number of changes expected to be implemented by the end of the year.
The amendments include an increase in licensing costs for companies which generate revenues of more than KR100m (£9.6m) a year, and a decrease for those who generate less.
State-owned Danske Spil likely to be the worst hit by the change to the cost structure, although the majority of other operators licensed in Denmark should see a decrease in their licensing costs.
“This is a slight amendment for those who earn the most in the Danish market, which is of course Danske Spil, which will pay more in annual fees than before,” Morten Rønde, chief executive of the Danish Online Gambling Association (DOGA), said.
“It should help smaller firms, but it is not a significant amount of money,” he added.
The amendments will also reduce the frequency with which operators must report tax liability, from a weekly to a monthly basis, and introduce a new type of licence covering daily fantasy sports.
While the moves may encourage more operators to explore the Danish market, they are unlikely to prompt a major influx of firms joining existing licence-holders including PokerStars, Unibet and Betsson.
Regulation has widely been seen as a success in Denmark, with regulator Spillemyndigheden reporting 20% growth in gross gaming revenues in 2013 and 2014.