Denmark’s gambling regulator secured court orders against 334 illegal gambling websites during 2025 as it expanded enforcement across websites, mobile applications and social media platforms.
The total was more than double the 162 websites blocked in 2024 and marked the highest annual figure since Denmark began restricting access to unlicensed gambling sites in 2012. However, the Danish Gambling Authority, Spillemyndigheden, said the increase should not necessarily be interpreted as evidence that the illegal market is growing.
Instead, the regulator attributed much of the rise to a stronger enforcement focus and improved methods for identifying unlicensed operators targeting Danish consumers.
According to the authority’s, three searches conducted with the Danish Tax Agency’s anti-fraud unit identified 695 websites for further supervision. Investigations ultimately led to district court rulings against 334 sites.
Another 36 websites removed or modified their gambling services after being contacted by the regulator, making their products unavailable to Danish players without the need for court-ordered blocking.
Under Danish law, an operator requires a local licence when it offers gambling involving a financial stake, a prize of economic value and an element of chance while targeting the Danish market. When an operator refuses to withdraw an illegal offering, Danish internet providers can be ordered to block access following a district court decision.
Blocking measures cut traffic to illegal sites
Spillemyndigheden said its blocking system continued to produce measurable results. A group of 178 websites blocked in June 2025 recorded approximately 34% fewer visits from Denmark during the following six months compared with the six months before the restrictions were introduced.
The regulator cautioned that the figures were based on Semrush web traffic estimates and that visits did not decline across every individual domain. Nevertheless, it considers DNS blocking an effective way to reduce Danish consumers’ exposure to operators that do not follow national consumer protection and safer gambling rules.
That June ruling was the largest single blocking action recorded in Denmark at the time. Many entries were alternative domains associated with the same operators, illustrating how illegal businesses use multiple addresses to retain access to restricted markets.
The authority has now updated its cooperation agreement with Denmark’s telecommunications industry to address the spread of mirror sites. When an illegal operator recreates a previously blocked website under another domain, the copy can now be restricted without obtaining a separate court ruling.
This dynamic blocking process is expected to reduce the time needed to respond when operators replace restricted domains.
Illegal gambling moves into private online groups
Enforcement is also extending beyond conventional gambling websites. Spillemyndigheden has observed increasing promotion of unlicensed gambling through closed Discord and Telegram groups, where users may share links, offers or access to privately organised games.
The authority also found cases in which ordinary websites unrelated to gambling had been compromised. Subdomains were then used to host gambling content or redirect visitors to illegal operators. This creates an enforcement problem because the regulator can block an entire website but cannot currently restrict an individual subdomain.
Website owners have consequently been urged to monitor their domains for unauthorised gambling-related content.
Spillemyndigheden is working with Apple and Google to report illegal gambling applications available through their stores. Its arrangements with Google also cover sponsored search results and YouTube content, while partnerships with Meta and Twitch support the removal of illegal gambling advertising and broadcasts.
Complaints from licensed operators about their brands being misused in Facebook advertisements increased during 2025. A new reporting process allows those companies to submit such cases directly to Meta, potentially speeding up the removal of fraudulent promotions.
New powers planned under Gambling Package 1
Denmark’s Gambling Package 1, agreed by a broad parliamentary majority in October 2025, is set to strengthen the regulator’s ability to act against websites that promote or direct consumers towards unlicensed operators.
The reforms will broaden restrictions on referrals to gambling businesses without Danish approval and fund an automated tool for monitoring gambling marketing across digital platforms. The package forms part of a wider effort to reduce gambling harm and improve protection for children, young people and vulnerable players.
Spillemyndigheden plans to publish a separate assessment of Denmark’s channelisation rate later in 2026. That figure will show the proportion of online gambling spending retained by locally licensed operators.
The update comes as Denmark’s market becomes increasingly digital. Online gambling represented 73% of total gross gambling revenue in 2025, compared with 70% a year earlier and 33% when the market was partially liberalised in 2012. Online casino became the country’s largest gambling segment, producing DKK4.31 billion in revenue, up 12.1% year on year.
Outside the online sector, the authority assisted with cases involving 25 premises suspected of operating gambling machines or betting terminals without the required permission. It also delivered 100 classroom presentations during the year to help young people understand gambling risks and distinguish licensed products from illegal alternatives.