Denmark Revives Gambling Act Amendment with Tighter Advertising Restrictions

Denmark has moved to reinstate legislation that would tighten gambling advertising rules, with a reintroduced bill amending the Gambling Act under consideration as of 8 October 2026. The legislation revives key elements of the government’s Gambling Package 1 political agreement, including a “whistle-to-whistle” advertising ban around live sports broadcasts. The original implementing bill lapsed earlier in the year when the Folketing was dissolved for the general election, leaving operators without regulatory certainty on measures that had been scheduled to take effect from 1 January 2027.

Background: A Bill Interrupted by Election

The implementing bill, known as L 127, was first introduced on 25 February 2026. It was intended to translate the Gambling Package 1 agreement, secured among Denmark’s political parties in October 2025, into binding law. Before its introduction, the proposed amendments had been notified to the European Commission in January 2026 as part of the required review process.

The dissolution of the Folketing ahead of the 2026 general election caused the bill to lapse, meaning none of the agreed measures had formally taken effect and no new implementation date had been set. The reintroduced bill seeks to close that gap and restore the legislative timetable.

Key Measures in the Proposed Amendment

The bill implements a range of advertising and player-protection restrictions, several of which had broad cross-party support when the package was agreed:

• Whistle-to-whistle advertising ban: Gambling advertisements on television and streaming platforms would be prohibited from 10 minutes before to 10 minutes after live sports transmissions.
• Location-based restrictions: Advertising would be banned on public transport and within a 200-metre radius of schools and youth education institutions.
• Age-related marketing rules: Licensees would be prohibited from featuring individuals under 25 years of age in gambling advertisements.
• Bonus restrictions: Free-to-play welcome bonuses would be prohibited.

The measures are designed primarily to reduce the exposure of children and young adults to gambling marketing, consistent with the stated objectives of the original political agreement.

Estimated Financial Impact

Reporting on the reintroduced bill indicates that one of its proponents has estimated the advertising restrictions could result in a decline in gambling tax revenue of approximately DKK 25 million. The figure reflects the anticipated effect of reduced marketing activity on operator revenues and, by extension, taxable proceeds.

Denmark has operated a licensed, competitive online gambling market since 1 January 2012, regulated by the Danish Gambling Authority (Spillemyndigheden). The jurisdiction is widely regarded as having one of the more structured regulatory frameworks in Europe, combining licensing requirements, mandatory certification for game suppliers, and tools such as the national ROFUS self-exclusion register.

The proposed advertising restrictions represent a tightening of that framework rather than a structural change. Supporters argue that the measures are a proportionate response to growing concern over youth exposure to gambling marketing, while operators and industry bodies have historically raised questions about the effectiveness of advertising bans in changing behaviour and the risk of accelerating traffic toward unlicensed channels.

The regulatory context is also evolving in other respects. Spillemyndigheden has expanded its enforcement activity against illegal operators, including website blocking actions, and work is under way on Gambling Package 2, which is expected to introduce further restrictions, including rules addressing prediction markets.