Key Moments:
- West End agreed to a penalty of DKK 6,928 for offering unlicensed gambling machines.
- The Danish gambling authority confirmed the machines were available without a license between January 27 and 31.
- The regulator has intensified enforcement actions, including website blocking and court cases, in recent years.
Regulatory Action Against West End
West End was issued a financial penalty after an investigation by the Danish gambling regulator, Spillemyndigheden, uncovered unlicensed gambling machines at its venue on Brårupgade 6 in Skive. The regulator determined that the machines were accessible to the public without the mandatory license from January 27 through January 31. Under section 59(1) in connection with section 3(1) of the Danish Gambling Act, all gambling operators are required to obtain a valid license before permitting access to gaming machines. Failure to comply may result in fines or other regulatory measures.
The company acknowledged the violation and accepted the imposed penalty of DKK 6,928 (approximately €930).
Broader Crackdown on Unlicensed Gambling
Spillemyndigheden has expanded its focus beyond physical venues to online gambling operations. In June, the regulator obtained a court-approved set of blocking orders against 178 gambling websites, marking the largest single enforcement of its kind since it began blocking illegal websites in 2012. While the regulator previously initiated just one court case per year to address illegal sites, from 2024 it has started bringing matters to court twice annually. Since the inception of these efforts, a total of 616 illegal gambling sites have been blocked.
Potential Reforms on the Horizon
Rasmus Stoklund, Denmark’s minister for taxation, has indicated that new gambling reforms could be considered to address concerns around problem gambling. Among the measures discussed are possible advertising restrictions aimed at reducing exposure to gambling during televised sporting events. Stoklund has criticized aggressive advertising practices and raised the idea of implementing a “whistle-to-whistle ban” on gambling ads during sports broadcasts, a measure similar to one previously adopted in the UK and recently proposed in France by the ANJ.
| Enforcement Activity | Details |
|---|---|
| Venue fined | West End (Brårupgade 6, Skive) |
| Penalty Amount | DKK 6,928 (approx. €930) |
| Unlicensed Operation Dates | January 27 – 31 |
| Websites Blocked in June | 178 |
| Total Sites Blocked (since 2012) | 616 |
- Author
Daniel Williams
