Denmark is moving ahead with plans to expand its land-based casino sector despite continued declines in retail casino revenue, with the Danish Gambling Authority (Spillemyndigheden) inviting operators to compete for a new round of casino licences.
The regulator has launched a tender process for licences covering several locations across the country, giving interested operators the opportunity to establish or operate physical casinos under Denmark’s regulated gambling framework. The move comes even as the latest market figures show traditional casinos remain the smallest and one of the weakest-performing gambling segments in the country.
Applications will be assessed based on multiple criteria, including the applicant’s financial strength, business plan, operating experience, responsible gambling measures and expected contribution to tourism and local economic activity. Authorities will also examine how proposed venues fit into their surrounding areas and whether applicants meet Denmark’s strict licensing and compliance standards.
The invitation follows the publication of Denmark’s 2025 gambling market data, which revealed that land-based casinos generated gross gaming revenue (GGR) of DKK378 million (€51 million), down 5.6% from the previous year. Physical casinos accounted for only around 3% of the country’s total gambling revenue, highlighting the continued migration of players toward online products.
Overall, Denmark’s regulated gambling market produced DKK11.5 billion in GGR during 2025, a 1% year-on-year decline after adjustments for inflation and GDP. However, online casino activity continued to grow rapidly, with revenue increasing 12.1% to DKK4.31 billion. For the first time since Denmark partially liberalised its gambling market in 2012, online casino overtook lottery products as the country’s largest gambling segment, accounting for 38% of total market revenue.
Sports betting revenue fell 11.5% to DKK2.13 billion during the same period, while gaming machine revenue declined 6.8% to DKK1.18 billion. Online gambling as a whole generated 73% of Denmark’s gambling revenue in 2025, compared with just one-third of the market when regulation was introduced in 2012. Mobile devices remained the dominant platform, producing nearly three-quarters of all online gambling revenue.
Despite the retail sector’s declining performance, Denmark continues to view physical casinos as part of its broader regulated gambling ecosystem. The country currently has seven licensed land-based casinos, with legislation allowing additional licences when the government decides further expansion is appropriate. Each successful applicant must comply with extensive certification, technical testing and security requirements set by Spillemyndigheden before opening operations.
The licensing initiative also comes as Denmark continues refining its gambling framework. Recent regulatory reforms have introduced stricter oversight of gambling advertising, stronger enforcement against the illegal market and updated licensing requirements designed to maintain high compliance standards across both online and land-based gambling sectors.